A sneaky early pick for top albums of the year from Ohio based artist Kali Dreamer. In October 2022 Derek Christopher of Wandering Stars put Kali on my radar and I was an immediate fan. I love watching an artist grow in vision and technique. “Imperfect Dark” is a monumental leap forward in execution for the talented artist. Hearing this album again and again fills me with hope for the future of goth music. Markise voice is enchanting and complex. Using a unique cadence and timeless beauty. Streaming pastel colors of shoegaze guitar lines make majestic sounds to lift nightmare fuel lyrics.
Tiara – I am such a sucker for romantic goth and this track is forlorn and wonderous. The guitar line has a dancing Smashing Pumpkins “Gish” feel and Markise is spinning out poetry with masterful inflection. This song leaves me shook every time I play it.
New Twilight – I love the slippery back beat and higher range vocals here. It’s like a beautiful blend of The Cure and R & B. This one has a brighter hopeful tone but it makes a really nice accent when you are on your third play though of the album in it’s entirety. This whole record hits all the buttons for me.
This is a don’t skip a single track record in 2025. which isn’t something I get to say often. people need to take notice of one of the most fresh and exciting voices in modern goth.
The German synth pop trio released it’s newest EP of synthpop hymns with four new remixes. BEBORN BETON were founded by vocalist Stefan Netschio, keyboard player and drummer Stefan Tillmann, and keyboard player Michael Wagner in 1989. There album “Nightfall” is widely considered one of the top albums of the genre. Stefan has a distinctive voice that silver surfs that line between husky chant and gorgeous melody. The song construction has a wonderful complexity you can get lost in like staring at a clear sky. Tiny pinpoints of light and detail that draw your attention for a moment while letting you drift in the moment. This EP hits a maturity of sound that feels so effortless in it’s precise quality. With a long gap between “Tales from another world” and “A Worthy Compensation” then several more years until “Darkness Falls Again” the world of electronic music is a much better place with Beborn Beton putting out consistent releases again.
Favorite Track: Progeny – At 6:36 this doesn’t seem like the dance floor single, but this track is such a captivating banger. Soulful revivalist southern synthpop gospel complete with sliding steel guitar effect. A slow grinding beat that feels thick with substance and blood. “I am the heir, of my fathers dream. I am the progeny.
Favorite Remix: Electricity (Tenderlash Remix) – Always a fan of the North Carolina solo artists on Swiss Dark Nights. I love the ringing pulse in the intro that slides into a cracking snare beat and isolation of Stefan’s vocals. The energy of this gets a little run away locomotive and the urgency translates perfectly with the vocals. This is a bop and belongs on your dancefloor.
I’m so excited to hear what comes next for Beborn Beton, they have live performance dates coming up in 2025. As well as a remix on the recent Rohn-Lederman album “Steal The Light”
Here is my review for Vancouver-based Modern Post-Punk and Darkwave band ACTORS latest single that will be released on Bandcamp and elsewhere October 4, 2024. I received my copy early so let’s see what we got. Warning, if you want to jump straight into the review, skip the next two paragraphs. They will be there to go back to read later. I promise it will not self-destruct. (smiles)
But first, a little backstory as my musical journey in these last few years is interwoven with this band. I first became a fan of all kinds of what would become Alternative Rock in the 80’s and 90’s. I listened to everything I could get my hands on. New Wave, Synthwave, Goth, College Rock, Industrial. I sopped it up like a piece of toast into a sunny side yolk. For my entire life I played catch up. Then in my Thirties, I entered a dark period. I didn’t have the same access to music as I once did though I would keep up on some Indie Rock through the early 2000’s Then the pandemic hit. Like most of us, I found hobbies to pass the time except I was living in a nursing home with no place to go after the passing of my Dad and my sister moving my Mom to NJ.
I started getting back into music and started getting into most of the darker music that I always wanted to get into. I met a group of like-minded music loving fans. They would all help me focus on the music again. A few of them encouraged me to start DJ-ing. Another lot encouraged me to start listening to this Modern band that took much of the music that Ken Magerman would call Modern Dark Scene and spun it with their own individual abilities that would become ACTORS. I was intrigued and I was compelled to know more. It was slow at first but knew I found a new obsession (I would later find that is a name of one of their songs) needed more including names, lyrics, and anything I could find. Before I got to Dark Force Fest 2023, I was hooked. The fact that I started to introduce myself to lead singer Jason Corbett at the merchandise stand for LEATHERS and he cut me off before I could finish and said, “I know who you are Alexx and thank you for what you do” to share us in your social media. I’ve since told him that it was that meeting that later inspired me to jump into TWITCH and keep working at becoming an online DJ; always learning from others, developing my own sense of style and oddly falling into running a New Music show every week once I realized that the newer bands were the ones who responded to my posts even more than the listeners.
Review for “Object of Desire” by ACTORS
The song begins with a pulsating collection of deliberate combination of echoing beats both synthesized and from the steady hand of drummer Adam Fink along with a wonderful bassline from bassist Kendall Wooding. Together they weave a hypnotic beat and brooding tone that really shows off the production work that has made Jason Corbett’s Jacknife Sound a popular place for remixes and full album production work for other bands in the scene.
The intense lyrics are seductive and full of bravado and intense longing, asking:
“Give yourself to foreign pleasure
Take your time
Lose yourself
Submit to vice
Tell me that you’re mine”.
Yet the chorus begins with too I’s, that single stammer belying the bravado, but finds its place again and continues their plea to take a chance on “me”… with the lyrics,
“I
I was low but now I’m high
I could be your object of your desire”
just as the other person had already become theirs.
We had already spoken on the driving, brooding rhythm but you can’t mention a song from the ACTORS without talking about Shannon Hemmett on Keyboard and Jason Corbett on guitar. Taking all four together as a unit, their performance is atmospheric and haunting that weaves a brooding tone with reverb, distortion and a driving beat that is as seductive as its lyrics making you want to dance. Unlike their previous song “We Don’t Have To Dance”, this song is pulling the object of their desire, and you the listener, with their seductive invocation.
New Video: “Object of Desire” by ACTORS
You want a rating? I don’t give them. I write on vibe. I write about things I like and/or love if I have the time. It can be implied if I review it, I recommend putting it on your wishlist and picking it up at your earliest convenience.
This single will be released on October 4, 2024
ACTORS are a Modern Post-Punk band that fans of bands like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Depeche Mode, and The Cure will appreciate.
Alexx Dimeler is a DJ on TWITCH and KICK known as DJ_LP_ViBE. The LP originally stood for Listening Party. His main show is on Saturdays 9 pm-1 am+ ET and is called “New Music M.D. (Modern DARKSCENE) and play a wide range of music from Post-Punk, Darkwave, Goth, Synthwave, Industrial, EBM, Dark Alternative, and everything in between.
The tag team of Emily Kavanaugh and Mark Brooks have pumped out their brand of dark pop for well over a decade by this point, landing soundtrack appearances in each of the Deadpool films, as well as scoring the Comedy Central series Moonbeam City. Their third album, 2020’s Die Die Lullaby, landed a #1 debut on the US iTunes Electronic charts, with hits including “Miss Negativity,” “Gossip,” and “Die in the Disco.” Now, the LA twosome have brought us Masochist, another lean mean synthpop machine clocking in at just north of half an hour of bouncy, bassy synths and Kavanaugh’s dynamic vocal range.
There are some club bangers, runway stompers, and all-around hits on this disc, including the lead single “Crime Scene” and the sleek and seductive “Barbwire Kiss.” The former begs for a sing-along whether in one’s room, on the dance floor, or at the show, with its kinetic chorus and earworm of a melody. The latter speaks of irresistibility and desire over a four-on-the-floor groove and Brooks’ deft synth work.
“Pretty Girls Do Ugly Things” starts off innocently enough with just piano behind Kavanaugh’s vocals before descending into an energetic, full-force number that evokes memories of the previous record’s “Die in the Disco” in more than just the key. Among the treats of the record are the one-two punch of “Let’s Play Revenge!” followed by “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum), with spooky and saccharine vibes preceding a spooky, swaying good time. Night Club are four for four on their full-length releases, with Masochist taking its place as further evolving the band’s sound. Any one of their records serves as a great entry point into their catalog, with this latest entry bringing some of their most accomplished works yet.
By: Vanessa Saw- Producer of Ratio Strain, Drummer for W.A.S.T.E, writer for STATIK magazine.
I was fortunate enough to be asked by Sounds and Shadows creator Ken Magerman to conduct a review of one of the most anticipated events of the summer, NGP’s Destination NOLA. Everyone I know was excited when the announcement came that NGP and the Gothic Cruise collaborated together to create the ultimate summer adventure. I have never been to a Gothic Cruise event myself and thought what better initiation than to go to NOLA in the heat and humidity of summer. I imagine the meeting for NGP and the Gothic Cruise went something like this:
“Hey, instead of being on a boat during the summer, let’s mix it up! Let’s do a land thing.”
“Sounds great! You know what place would be amazing to get a bunch of goth/industrial people who wear black to go? NOLA!” Let’s do it in August!”
“OMG! you’re a genius! I’m in!”
Thus, many including myself, bought tickets and made the trek over to NOLA with all our black clothes and stompy boots with little regard for mother nature in the name of music and fun.
NGP has been a force to be reckoned with and has been home to a variety of our favorite artists from Bestial Mouths, Josie Pace, to ESA. Celebrating 25 years is not an easy feat, especially as the scene and it’s needs change over time. Yet Micah and Roger have managed to not only create a household name in the scene but have assisted with facilitating diversity and growth. The fact that NGP was able to create a two-day festival that many attended from around the world shows the caliber of artists they support. Every artist brought their all to the stage, and you have to hand it to Atari Nite, Wire Spine, Carrellee, Total Chroma, and Heavy Halo who played night one in a venue with no AC.
It would be easy to review every artist’s performance, but in thinking about the event, I kept reflecting on what events like these mean to the scene. The first thing I noticed was just how many people from all over the world were in attendance. One of my favorite aspects about these types of events is connecting with friends and fellow musicians that I get to see so rarely. While we all love the music, we appreciate the connection to others in the scene. In speaking with many of the performing artists, this was a common theme. Rob from Order of the Static Temple (who absolutely crushed it and was a highlight performance) had this to say:
“We’ve been very lucky to play at two NGP showcases, last year at SXSW in Austin TX and now in NOLA. NEW ORLEANS!! The French Quarter is another world. Walking the streets at close to midnight with literally no one around, marveling at the 1700’s architecture, gas lights and horse hitches. Two nights of amazing artists, friendship and community. We played our brand of electronic cult music alongside the best. Happy 25th anniversary to Negative Gain, and much gratitude to Micah and Roger for making this happen!”
I have to wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment as one of my favorite parts of the weekend was exploring the local culture, checking out the local goth club, and the afterhours set from Daniel Myer that made my noise loving heart so happy. Seriously, don’t ever sleep on a Daniel Myer set! Another highlight for me personally was being able to drum for Ivardensphere and share the stage with two of my favorite people in the world, Scott and Jamie. Very few people can message me the day of a performance and say “Hey, do you want to play with us?” and with no hesitation I somehow say yes to an entire set.
Night one of the festival was a good introduction to the weekend with Carrellee’s perfectly moody voice and Heavy Halo’s grungy synth sounds. The venue was more intimate, so it allowed for the artists to really interact with their audience and showcase their talent. I enjoyed the dive bar feel of the venue mixed with Total Chroma’s post punk groove and the sight of so many familiar faces. What I always fail to remember about NOLA is just how late the party goes, so several of us ended up at the Goat for their goth night. I always enjoy checking out the local scenes and seeing what the city has to bring.
Day two of the festival kicked off just as amazing as day one, albeit on slightly less sleep and probably too much of the local cuisine in my belly. As expected, every performer brought their all and the crowd was amped throughout the entire night. I had never seen several of the acts live so it was great to see them all in one place. I honestly can’t say that any one performance was better than the other as they all brought something unique to the table. The biggest highlight was Daniel Myer making everyone dance and sing, because who can say no to Daniel.
In speaking with Roger and Micah themselves, I could sense their excitement and disbelief that something they had envisioned in their heads had finally come to fruition. When I asked them what their plans were moving forward, they collectively agreed that they are beyond thankful to the community to have made it this far and that they want to continue to foster what they have built.
It was truly a pleasure to sit back and watch all the performances. Watching Total Chroma’s drummer be in the pocket like a boss, the total rockstar energy of Josie Pace, Curse Mackey who just gives his performance his absolute soul, Bestial Mouth’s moody hypnotizing vibes, ESA’s shirtless “It’s too hot for clothes”, DSTR’s heckling for us not knowing the lyrics, being able to drum with Ivardensphere, and the crowd’s unwavering energy for every performance made me thankful for our mighty community. So thanks NGP and the Gothic Cruise for making us sweat, eat amazing food, laugh with good friends, and remind us that we are a strong community built on good music and friendship.
