Electro – Page 12 – 7th Level Music

Lust for Youth & Croatian Amor share “Kokiri” from upcoming album.

Today Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor share a second look at their forthcoming collaborative album ‘All Worlds’, which is set for release on March 7th via Sacred Bones. Lust For Youth have also announced tour dates across Europe, including a UK run in March.

In June 2023, Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor shared the stage at the iconic Sydney Opera House during the Vivid Live Festival. This encounter reignited their creative partnership, laying the foundation for ‘All Worlds’.

Loke Rahbek, who used to be a member of Lust For Youth, left the group to focus on his solo project Croatian Amor and the Posh Isolation record label. His departure coincided with the release of Lust For Youth’s self-titled album in 2019. With ‘All Worlds’, Rahbek’s collaboration with Lust For Youth marks a poignant reunion for the band’s core creative forces, where the differing sonic palettes of the Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor projects meet again in the form of a full-length album.

Drawing inspiration from the Golden Record sent into space as humanity’s message to the unknown, ‘All Worlds’ mirrors this longing for connection and understanding. Each track captures a fragment of emotion, culture, or memory, offering a kaleidoscopic view of the human experience.

Following the release of first single “Dummy” – a pivotal track borne of the creative spark set between the three in Australia – today they share a second look at the album with new track “Kokiri“. Taking it’s name from the forest in video game series The Legend of Zelda, “Kokiri” builds layers of luminous, earthy atmospherics and samples to an energised, heady, beat-based crescendo.

Along with the original version of the track, they also share an ethereal remix by Fatshaudi, commenting: “Rachel had made a cover/version of Armida, that she posted on her social media. We really liked her version and asked if she was into make something for All Worlds. She gave back this stripped down and beautiful version of Kokiri.”

“Kokiri” on YouTube:https://youtu.be/rXVUxY2Vp4Y
Other “Kokiri” listening links:https://lnk.to/LFYKokiri
“Take Me Home (Kokiri remix)” by Fatshaudi: http://lnk.to/TakeMeHomeKokiri
‘All Worlds’ pre-order info:https://lnk.to/AllWorlds

Lust For Youth have also confirmed new European tour dates, taking in the following shows:

March 11th @ La Station, Paris France
March 12th @ The Lexington, London UK
March 13th @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle upon Tyne UK
March 14th @ The Flying Duck, Glasgow UK
March 26th @ Rust, Copenhagen Denmark
April 16th @ Hus 7, Stockholm Sweden
April 18th @ Plan B, Malmö Sweden
May 28th @ Rote Fabrik, Zürich Switzerland
May 30th @ Stream Festival, Linz Austria

The new album’s title ‘All Worlds’ reflects the idea of collecting fragments from disparate places, feelings, and stories. Each song unveils a unique “world,” contributing to overarching themes of exploration and introspection. These “worlds” represent the inner landscapes we carry, shaping our identities. The title also gestures toward connection—as if these worlds float through space, waiting to be discovered and understood. Ultimately, ‘All Worlds’ embodies the quest for belonging and meaning.

Through a sonic journey of isolation, resilience, and wonder, introspective lyrics intertwine with lush, evocative soundscapes. Retaining the dreamy atmospheres characteristic of both Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor, the album’s reverb-drenched production lends it an ethereal, nostalgic quality. While themes of melancholy and longing are central, energetic beats and uplifting arrangements introduce a bittersweet harmony that oscillates between vulnerability and euphoria.

The album marks a shift in tone, moving away from Lust For Youth’s synth-driven post-punk roots. Instead, ‘All Worlds’ embraces a dance-oriented aesthetic, weaving pulsating rhythms and techno-inspired motifs with layered vocal samples. The result is a textured soundscape—an exploration of emotional fragility through shimmering production and introspective melodies.

Celebrating twelve years since their 2013 ambient-industrial album ‘Pomegranate’, ‘All Worlds’ reflects the evolution of Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor. This album serves as both a response to their earlier work and a progression informed by a decade of growth and change. It deepens their exploration of sound and meaning, speaking directly to the present moment.

Like the Golden Record adrift in space, ‘All Worlds’ is a collection of moments waiting to connect with those who choose to listen.

Keep your mind open.

[Why not subscribe while you’re here?]

[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity.]

Barker releases first single, “Reframing,” from his new album out April 04, 2025.

Berlin-based producer and DJ Barker (aka Sam Barker) announces Stochastic Drift, his new album out April 4th via Smalltown Supersound, and presents its lead single, “Reframing.” Following 2023’s Unfixed EP and his first full-length release since his 2019 debut album Utility, Stochastic Drift builds on Barker’s singular process to capture life’s chaos and reflect on just how much has changed. If his previous records showcased the artist “using ambient materials to remake techno” (Pitchfork), Stochastic Drift pushes Barker’s approach even further into harmonic chaos and dreamy freeform float.

Utility, the fullest expression of the beatless techno experimentation Barker excavated on his cult classic Debiasing EP, arrived to critical fanfare from The Quietus, DJ Mag, Resident Advisor, and Mixmag (who named it their Album Of The Year). The years since the release of Utility have been marked by intense unpredictability: Barker’s own shifting attitudes towards production, moments of professional transition and, not least, a global pandemic, necessitated somewhat of a reinvention.

Stochastic Drift sees Barker creating tracks with a fresh deftness and appreciation for the unexpected. “I’d been working with an approach that was quite deliberate and goal-oriented before, but I realised this wasn’t so helpful in the context of uncertainty. Being suddenly unemployed and stuck at home for an indefinite amount of time, with one disruption after another, it was like the target kept moving and I didn’t know what to aim at,” Barker reflects. “I noticed this unpredictability starting to creep into what I was making, and tracks were ending up a long way from the intentions they started with. So the challenge for this record was to try to embrace that process, to let go of expectations.” The serotonin-spiking lead single “Reframing,” titled after psychological technique for reinterpreting a situation in a positive way, unfolds like a brittle reimagining of Sasha’s eternal prog trance standard “Xpander” until it begins to drift through uncharted territory.

Listen to Barker’s “Reframing”

Throughout Stochastic Drift, Barker dives deeper into the world of mechanical instrumentation. Barker explains: “My interest in mechanical instruments is not to replace a human performer, but to explore the tool in a different way, maybe dehumanize it a little bit and look for the potential outside of what humans have already perfected.” Addressing anxiety about the influence of automation in music making head on, Barker emphasizes that, regardless of the technology implemented and how this might enable the artist, machines of all sorts, be they robots, synths or instruments, are simply tools. It’s the creative act that remains resolutely human.

“I wanted to explore the link between my internal and external realities, between the chaos of the time and how that was manifesting in my music and ideas,” Barker says of Stochastic Drift. “It’s a transition between lots of shifting realities, describing a process in a window of time that was full of change.” As though finding comfort in unpredictability, the artist pieces together a new sound and in so doing finds a salve for uncertainty.

Pre-order Stochastic Drift

Barker Tour Dates
Sat. Mar. 15 – Dublin, IE @ The Complex (Live)
Sun. Mar. 23 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Panorama Bar (DJ)
Sat. Apr. 5 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso (Live)
Sun Apr. 13 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Panorama Bar (Live)
Fri. May 2 – Basel, CH @ Sudhaus Basel (Live)
Thu. June 5 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound (Live)
Sun. June 29 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Panorama Bar (DJ)
Sat. July 19 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Panorama Bar (DJ)
Sun. Sep. 7 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Panorama Bar (DJ)
Sat. Nov. 1 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Panorama Bar (DJ)

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Anika returns with “Hearsay” off her upcoming new album due April 04, 2025.

“Hearsay” video still (directed by Laura Martinova)

Anika — the British-born, Berlin-based musician Annika Henderson — announces her new album, Abyss, out April 4th on Sacred Bones, and shares its lead single / video, “Hearsay.” Abyss was born out of the frustration, anger, and confusion Henderson feels from existing in our contemporary world. Notably heavier than 2021’s Change, the 10-track album is raw, urgent, and fueled by strong emotions. Pulsing with a heavy guitar and rhythm section, Abyss takes Anika on a new sonic journey.

“There’s so much going on in the world, and you have to sit there and watch it through a screen

that you’ve allowed into your home, like a vampire who had been preying at your door, then immediately digest it, have an opinion, and publicly comment on it,” Anika says. “The state of the world just feels like an abyss right now.” With this new album, she wants to create a place where people can feel safe to be themselves, and to unite in their diversity. “Abyss is like a call to action,” she says. “To come and figure it out together.”

The thrashing, driving, lead single and album opener, “Hearsay,” hones in on the extreme divisions between the left and right in contemporary society. Anika sings: “And yesterday’s papers they line my bird cage. / And you’re telling me tales to get your own way. / And you’re making up stories to push your narrative./ And you’re making up tales to be provocative.” In Anika’s words, “This song is about media moguls – about the power of the media, whether social, tv or beyond – we are as much under its spell as we ever were and some nasties are exploiting it for their own gains. Parasites feeding off the blood of the public — PJ Harvey inspired for sure.”

Laura Martinova who directed the accompanying video says it’s “inspired by vampire aesthetics and seeks to connect with the grungy essence of Abyss. We aimed to create a dark yet dynamic and surprising video. My collaboration with contemporary dancers and the use of raw camera movement transcends this imagery, while Zeynep Schilling’s creative direction elevates the video to another level—somewhere between evil and heaven. We worked with stylist Danny Muster and emerging designers to craft a timeless aesthetic.”

Watch the video for “Hearsay”

Abyss was recorded live to tape at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin (where the likes of Depeche Mode and David Bowie also recorded) in just a few days. Recording live and with minimal overdubs was an important decision, Anika stresses, in order to capture the raw immediacy of the album. As before, she wrote the songs herself before fleshing them out with Martin Thulin (Exploded View), and then assembled a live band to join the pair in the studio – comprising of Andrea Belfi on drums, Tomas Nochteff on bass (Mueran Humanos) and Lawrence Goodwin (The Pleasure Majenta) on guitar, with studio engineering done by Nanni Johansson and Frida Claeson Johansson. “I always work with people I respect and admire,” Anika says. “It’s very genuine in that way.”

Anika consciously sought to make an album that was inherently physical— one that would take the listener out of their head and back into their body. The physicality of Abyss is emphasized by the androgynous bodies on the album’s cover, that are from a drawing by a teenage friend of Anika’s. This feels especially poignant, as teenage angst also plays a part in the album. “These days it feels like you have to have very catered opinions – like language has gone out the window,” Anika says. “It makes you feel very much like a restricted child again.” With Abyss, Anika was determined to break free from holding back genuine emotions – even if they might seem uncomfortable or too much: “It’s like I’m doing all the things that I never allowed myself to do,” she says. Anika hopes this pure emotion will position the listener to fully immerse themselves in the album. “There needs to be room for people to put themselves in this album, and put their own narratives on it,” she says. “This is a space for you.”

Pre-order Abyss

Anika Tour Dates:
Sun. Apr. 20 – Berlin, DE @ Volksbühne
Thu. Apr. 24 – Cologne, DE @ C/O Pop
Fri. Apr. 25 – Tourcoing, FR @ Le Grand Mix
Sun. Apr. 27 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Mon. Apr. 28 – London, UK @ Omeara
Tue. Apr. 29 – Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew
Wed. Apr. 30 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room)
Thu. May 1 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Fri. May 2 – Belfast, UK @ Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
Sat. May 3 – Dublin, IE @ Whelans
Mon. May 5 – Brighton, UK @ DUST
Tue. May 6 – Paris, FR @ Gonzai Night @ Petit Bain
Wed. May 7 – Strasbourg, FR @ La Grenze
Thu. May 8 – Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Fri. May 9 – Zürich, CH @ Bogen F
Sat. May 10 – Frankfurt, DE @ Mousonturm

Keep your mind open.

[I’ve heard you’re going to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Roi Turbo present their new single – “Super Hands.”

Roi Turbo — the new project of South African-born, London-based electronic duo of brothers Benjamin & Conor McCarthy — present their new single, “Super Hands,” out today via Maison Records. In contrast to the ‘80s South African Bubblegum disco-inspired “Bazooka,” released late last year and named a “Song You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone, “Super Hands” is an immersive ‘90s progressive house-inspired track with hypnotic synth riffs and a thick underlying groove. In the band’s words, “‘Super Hands’ is the warehouse industrial side of Roi Turbo with its modular sequencing and hard hitting drum machines. We were keen to experiment and mix warehouse dance with guitars and live percussion. We’ve always loved that progressive ‘90’s sound and had fun trying to make it fit into the Turbo world.”

Listen to “Super Hands”
Roi Turbo was formed in their home city of Cape Town in 2020. Ben came from an electronic background as a producer and DJ, and became a mainstay in the club circuit in and around their hometown. Conor, meanwhile, came from a band background, playing in alt-rock and alt-pop outfits. The two had always wanted to start a dance project together, dating back to when they were in high school. During COVID lockdown, the chance presented itself. The brothers moved back in together and wrote music with no real agenda, just the two of them with time on their hands, having fun writing music that felt the most natural to them. “We were listening to ‘70s and ‘80s African disco and funk records at the time, and the contrast between the synths and raw live elements of these records really inspired us,” say Ben & Conor, who are also quick to note the likes of Larry Levan, William Onyeabor, Air and Pino D’Angiò as musical inspiration. “Over the years we bought as many synths, drums, guitars and microphones as we could get our hands on and would experiment for weeks on end until we got the sound we were going for. This combination of analog gear has now become a staple in the Roi Turbo sound.”

Roi Turbo will perform at Retreat Yourself, a Cape Town festival on February 22nd, and Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan next June, with more live dates to come.

Listen to “Bazooka”

Listen to “Dystopia”

Keep your mind open.

[It would be super if you used your hands to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Hieroglyphic Being releases new single, “I’m in a Strange Loop,” ahead of new album due April 18, 2025.

Hieroglyphic Being — one of the many monikers of legendary Chicago musician Jamal Moss — announces his new album Dance Music 4 Bad People, out April 18th via Smalltown Supersound and shares its lead single “I’m in a Strange Loop.” Tapping back into the same cosmic frequencies responsible for the prolific house virtuoso’s most vital work, Dance Music 4 Bad People sees Moss coaxing anthems for those up to no good from out of the ether. With driving drum machine workouts and low-slung synth sexuality, Hieroglyphic Being pays homage to human fallibility, drawing focus on the revolutionary potential of house music and club culture that is so often lost to the chaos of the present.

Moss’s ability to capture fleeting moments of transience provide us insight into the esoteric knowledge hinted at within his music. The lysergic tempo change of today’s single, “I’m in a Strange Loop,” for instance, stretches out its rippling organ to revel in its celestial detail. The track puts on display what Moss calls “synth expressionism” or “rhythmic cubism,” combining layered loops and tempo shifts into an atmospheric, kaleidoscopic, and danceable composition.

Listen to “I’m In A Strange Loop”

As the tongue-in-cheek title suggests, Dance Music 4 Bad People looks to the eternal quality of Moss’ art to throw moral compasses into disarray, speaking truth to the evil energies that have permeated the club industrial complex of today while challenging black and white notions of good and bad that are instrumentalized for the persecution of those at the fringes. For Moss, this is a tension he has observed since he first heard the sound pioneered by Ron Hardy at the legendary Muzic Box, when Chicago house music was born. “Back then, especially during the Reagan era and the police brutality of the so-called crime and crack epidemic, the one thing I noticed in my community was that house music actually helped us escape from all that negative stuff and make everybody in the environment support each other more.”

It’s this loose vitality that Moss understands to be in short supply in the dance music scene today. “Festivals and clubs profess to propagate safe spaces, but you’ve probably seen it firsthand: you look around and a good percent of people in the club are not happy.” Taking aim at the entire ecosystem, from the malaise and malcontentedness of modern audiences to the false solidarity and commodification of minority positions within the commercial entity of dance music, Moss offers up the raw, unrefined power of the tracks collected on Dance Music 4 Bad People as an antidote.

As the American empire crumbles, the Hieroglyphic Being strides forward with a clear vision to broadcast a sage warning. “If you let other people dictate to you how you are supposed to feel about someone else, it goes into a dark space, especially when there’s nothing good you can say about them,” he says. “Get out of your comfort zone and reach out to people so you can learn more about them.” Though the temptation to judge can be irresistible, Moss believes in the primordial power of the Chicago house sound. Rather than condemn some as bad and others as good, Dance Music 4 Bad People helps us all to recognise each other through the smoke and strobe light. The Hieroglyphic Being speaks through the sound with a message of optimism and hope. “Everybody should be loved, adored, respected, no matter the path you take.”

Pre-order Dance Music 4 Bad People

Keep your mind open.

[I’m in a strange loop when you don’t subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Desire brings you to the dance floor with her new single – “The Judge.”

Desire announces new album Games People Play, an eclectic labyrinth of love, power, & deception where every move counts, out March 21st via Italians Do It Better and today is sharing new single “The Judge” alongside a video directed by Kirill Nong.

Games People Play unfolds like a game of chess—Desire as the queen, fate as the dealer, & love as the ultimate wager. Set against Johnny Jewel’s signature cinematic curtain, the record guides players through a shadowy dance floor where strategy & surrender blur. In this world of passion, the line between predator & prey is razor-thin, & every lover is a contender on heartbreak’s edge. Checkmate is inevitable—but who will make the final move?

“In the age of omnipresent surveillance…Machines track our every move while friends stalk our every groove. Take matters into your own hands…be the judge & jury of your own timeline. Life is too short, so forget the lurkers & love the jerkers. Time is running out & court is now adjourned.” – Desire on “The Judge”

“The Judge” on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8n0rBUEejE

Keep your mind open.

[I might judge you if you don’t subscribe.]

[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

“We Like” Pierre Kwenders’ new single.

Pierre Kwenders, the Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician, songwriter, and DJ whose “every song summons an international midnight” (The New Yorker), returns today with the announcement of Tears On The Dancefloor (out 2/26 on Moonshine), his new EP and first new project since the release of his widely-praised Polaris Music Prize-winning album, the “fluid, immersive” (Rolling Stone) José Louis And The Paradox Of Love. In conjunction, Kwenders presents the EP’s lead single, “We Like” (feat. Poté).

Tears On The Dancefloor is Kwenders’ heartfelt ode to the club, a testament to the power of music as both a sanctuary and a space for self-expression. A shift from the big-picture ambition of José Louis And The Paradox Of Love, the new project is an intimate exploration of human connection, exploring intricate themes of love, vulnerability, and self-discovery. The tracks across Tears On The Dancefloor are a reflection of the personal and collective experiences we all share as we navigate love, joy, fear, and growth, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the emotions that arise when we connect with others and with ourselves, creating a space where emotional depth and freedom collide.

With mixing and mastering by Pascal Shefteshy (Moonshine, Kroy, Vanyfox, Sébastien Tellier), Tears On The Dancefloor features collaborations with heavyweights of the Afro-electronic music scene, including, Gacci, Poté, Vanyfox, NegoO, and Dogzout. “I’m honored to have collaborated with some of my favorite DJs and producers who have graced countless dance floors,” Kwenders says. “Additionally, the incredible vocals of Pierre Lapointe, Lady Donli, Mopao Mumu, and Pony bring life and depth to this project. Together, we embark on a journey through the dance floor, exploring our innermost selves and emotions until we ultimately reach a place of freedom.”

Lead single “We Like,” which features the St. Lucia-born, Paris-based electronic artist Poté, is a rallying cry for unity— a song for connection and celebration. In Kwenders’ words, the track is “an anthem that resonates with the call for love, comfort, passion, and togetherness—this is a song for freedom! It captures the essence of our shared humanity, inviting us to unite and celebrate our connections. We’re excited to embrace this message and let it inspire us as we navigate life together!”

Listen to “We Like” (feat. Poté)

Born José Louis Modabi in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kwenders borrows his stage name from his late grandfather, a widely respected businessman and community figure. Following his mother’s footsteps, Kwenders immigrated from Congo to Montreal in 2001. His debut album, Le Dernier Empereur Bantou, was released in 2014, followed by MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time in 2017. Both albums garnered acclaim and earned Kwenders nominations for the coveted Polaris Music Prize. In 2022, Kwenders returned with José Louis and the Paradox of Love, a culmination of the personal growth and musical dexterity he’d honed over the years, converging his strong songwriting capabilities with the bravado he possesses as a DJ. The album was met with widespread praise from the likes of The New York Times, New Yorker, NPR’s All Things Considered, Rolling Stone, The FADER, MOJO, The Guardian, Bandcamp, and beyond, ultimately taking home the Polaris Music Prize for Canada’s Best Album. In 2023, José Louis and the Paradox of Love was shortlisted for the Juno Award for Global Music Album of the Year.

“This journey through sound encourages us to embrace our feelings, celebrate our joys, and confront our fears, reminding us that the dance floor is not just a physical space but a sanctuary for our souls. In every beat and melody, we find an opportunity to reflect, heal, and connect on a deeper level.” — Pierre Kwenders

Keep your mind open.

[I like it when you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Rontronik – Zero Nine

Ron Croudy, otherwise known as Rontronik, has been crafting soundscapes and experimental electronic music for a few years now, and his latest album, Zero Nine blends lush atmospherics with field recordings and even dance beats.

“Zero Nine One” layers birdsongs over day spa synths. “Zero Nine Two” is like being a long tunnel while riding in a neon-accented car driven by a robot. “Zero Nine Three” is like following a falcon in flight over a desert and around a giant red rock formation before it lands to face the rising sun. The rattlesnake beats at the end of it become industrial crunch doubled with throbbing bass on “Zero Nine Four.” It’s jarring at first, but it becomes somewhat hypnotic.

The first half of “Zero Nine Five” continues the industrial feel, but it switches to trip hop in the second half. “Zero Nine Six” is a calm track perfect for meditations with floating, lava lamp synths that take their time to massage you. If that doesn’t work, then the final track, “Zero Nine Seven,” will because it’s over nine minutes of birds singing and a river flowing across smooth rocks that lead into synths that sound like they were recorded in a mountain temple somewhere.

It’s a lush record, and one you’ll probably pull more from with each listen.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to George at Terrorbird Media.]

Jaco Jaco announces his new album, “Gremlin,” and releases its first single – “Woman.”

Jaco Jaco — the project of Philadelphia-based musician, visual artist, and former member of beloved indie-rock trio Sports, Jacob Theriot — announces his new album, Gremlin, out March 21st, and shares its lead single, “Woman.” The music Theriot makes as Jaco Jaco straddles genre: a little funk, a little psych, a little dreamy 70s AM rock. The follow up to Jaco Jaco’s 2024 debut Splat, Gremlin is a playful, elegant record that isn’t directly inspired by the movie Gremlins, but honors the movie’s use of kitsch and camp to explore a prevailing mood of irreverence and introspection. “This record came from a somewhat confused and lonely state of mind,” says Theriot, “It’s a journey through reflection and longing for something real—an inner dialogue giving me advice on navigating life when it feels like it’s working against you.”

Following last year’s Brazilian Jazz-funk-inspired “Favorite Kind of People,” “Woman” is anchored by slick, wet bass, bright guitars, and light distortion. The lyrics are abstract, but behind that abstraction, there’s something deeper: an exploration of the complexities and nuances of relationships. It is a meditation on honesty and acceptance, being real with yourself, and being real with your partner.

Recalling the song’s creation Theierot says “‘Woman’ was one of those rare, serendipitous type songs that just kinda happened. Everything fell into place pretty quick, lyrics and all. I played guitar along to some random breakbeat and out came the guitar riff(s). I was big into Black Messiah (D’Angelo) at the time, so that influence may have seeped in a bit, maybe? No comparison though, of course. I just wanna be like Pino Palladino when I grow up.”

Stream “Woman”

Hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Theriot began writing and recording music in grade school with his brother and childhood friend. The musical relationship eventually resulted in the band Sports. After three successful albums and international tours with Sports, Theriot then decided to venture out on his own, using all of the skills he learned as a producer and composer to breathe life into something new.

Gremlin, above all else, is a mature work from an artist who has been perfecting his craft for his entire life. It’s also a visual marvel that is aesthetically inspired by the early ‘90s sitcom “Dinosaurs,” Les Blank docs, and the world of alternative comic books. Theriot is thoroughly enthralled by the extremes of both “absurd cartoons and animatronic puppets,” lending even more of the prevailing feeling of playfulness throughout the artwork. Gremlin is a seductive record, beautiful and meticulously arranged. “It’s written in the third person,” Theriot says, “but really it’s in the first person. It’s a form of therapy. It’s like journaling.”

Stream “Favorite Kind of People”

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

The Faint release previously unheard single, “Zealots.”

Before Electroclash and the wave of 00’s Dance-rock there was The Faint, emerging in the late 1990s in Omaha, Nebraska—a place known more for stoic practicality than synth-punk. In that unlikely setting of beige restraint, they pioneered a sound that combined the melodic essence of new wave, the raw edge of post-punk, and the robotic futurism of Detroit electro. Breaking free from indie rock’s humble comfort, they arrived armed with synths, dark eyeliner, and a raw, frenetic energy that dared audiences to actually feel something real, somethingprimal. The late ’90s and early 2000s indie scene was overdue for a shock, and The Faint delivered—not just as a band, but as an invitation to cast off coolness, to sweat, to move, and to live fully in the moment.

Onstage, the band turned every show into a raucous dance party. In a time of understated guitar rock, flannel shirts and torn blue jeans, their DIY foot-controlled lighting rig and all-black wardrobe was eyebrow raising. Behind unironic smoke machine clouds, keyboardist Jacob Thiele’s priest collar lent an eerie vibe while frontman Todd Fink delivered a fractured vision of a hyper-sexed cyber dystopia. The electro-punk beats of his brother Clark Baechle supplied the pulse and energy, and later, death metal guitarist Dapose infused a raw tension with his howling atonal guitar work. It was clear that this was more than a nostalgic nod to the 80’s. It was a spark from theunderground, foreshadowing an era of dance-oriented indie music that is still reverberating in the work of some of today’s most vital emerging artists.

The distinctive, synth-driven sound that brought The Faint to wide acclaim first surfaced on 1999’s Blank-Wave Arcade. The album was raw and daring, striking its own chord between early synth-pop pioneers (The Human League, New Order) and more recent heroes like Fugazi and Sonic Youth. The band’s blend of new wave, and DIY post-punk was trailblazing, and when the new millennium dawned that sound took hold of the zeitgeist, launching the band to new critical commercial peaks. 2001’s now classic Danse Macabre found itself scratching an itch that many indie rockers didn’t know they had. Wet From Birth followed in 2004 with its unusual electro-orchestral arrangements, cementing The Faint’s reputation as pioneers of the indie synth scene.

Today, 25 years removed from its release, The Faint are returning to announce a reissue of Blank-Wave Arcade, and Wet From Birth, which just celebrated its own 20th anniversary. Both reissues will arrive on the band’s longtime label home Saddle Creek on March 14th. This will be the first time that The Faint’s full catalog has been available on vinyl. To mark the announcement the band are sharing an unreleased Wet From Birth-era track entitled “Zealots,” and and accompanying remaster of Wet From Birth track “I Disappear.”

Fink says of “Zealots”:

“This song came from a dream Jacob had (our late keyboard player). In the dream, people were chanting, “You will know we are zealots by our guns,” . The lyrics are about the paradox between Christianity’s core message of love and the obsession with guns among some of its followers.”

In celebration of these reissues, The Faint will be embarking on extensive touring throughout 2025. Full details of those dates can be found below.

Tour Dates

Mar-21 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SoHo

Mar-22 – Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar & Billiards

Mar-24 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole

Mar-25 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf

Mar-27 – Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard

Mar-28 – Kansas City, MO @ Warehouse on Broadway

Mar-29 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall

Mar-31 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Ballroom at The Taft

Apr-01 – Detroit, MI @ El Club

Apr-03 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room

Apr-04 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre

Apr-05 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s

Keep your mind open.

[Subscribe today!]

[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]