A Place to Bury Strangers Synthesizer

Top 25 albums of 2021 – 2025: #’s 5 – 1

Here we are. The top five albums I reviewed in the last five years. I revised this list of all twenty-five records several times. It wasn’t easy to get here, but here we go.

#5: The Black Angels – Wilderness of Mirrors (2022)

This was a great return for my favorite band. The Black Angels came back in 2022 with anger about the past and hope for the future. It was a psychedelic, heavy reflection on the current times, what came before, and what was looming.

#4: Shame – Drunk Tank Pink (2021)

The album’s name refers to a color that’s often painted in jail cells to calm rowdy people. This post-punk album blends rowdy rage with punk riffs and cutting lyrics about how bonkers the world was back then…and still is.

#3: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Land of Sleeper (2023)

Good heavens, this thing is massive. Pigsx7 unleashed an album that was designed to shake us out of our doldrums and also explore the weird world of dreams and how they merge with reality. It rocketed into my “best of” list for 2023 upon my first listen, and their tour for this was solid.

#2: A Place to Bury Strangers – Synthesizer (2024)

Speaking of albums that landed in my “best of” lists for a particular year and then never moved out of it, how could I not include an album by APTBS that, no joke, you can turn into an actual synthesizer. The album cover is a circuit board. You can create music with this thing. Plus, the whole album shreds. It’s a stunning work that I think only they could imagine and then execute so well.

#1: Matthew Halsall – An Ever Changing View (2023)

I almost didn’t hear this album or discover Halsall’s work. It got buried in a big stack of unread e-mails and press releases and I didn’t open the file until late fall of 2023, not long before I was about to make my “Best of 2023” list. Lo and behold, it was the most beautiful album I’d heard all year. “Ambient jazz” doesn’t describe it well enough. It’s an album that instantly changes the atmosphere around you for the better.

There you have it. Up next, my top twenty-five concerts of the last five years…which was more difficult to determine than this list.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: A Place to Bury Strangers – Synthesizer

Not to get all “Gen X is cool” on you, but do you remember when cereal boxes used to include phonograph records in or on the box? Seriously, this was a thing. You could get a flexi-disc record in a box of Count Chocula that featured cereal mascots at the disco or even score a Jackson 5 record from a box of Alpha-Bits.

I don’t know if Oliver Ackermann (vocals, guitar, synths), John Fedowitz (bass, vocals, synths), and Sandra Fedowitz (drums, vocals, synths) were listening to a flexi-disc copy of Bobby Sherman songs found in a box of Honey-Comb when they got the idea for their latest album, Synthesizer, but it reminded me of these flexi-discs because the packaging is a musical instrument.

Yes, you can buy a vinyl copy of the record with a cover that includes dials, wires, and other bits of gear that can be used (with soldering tools and other simple devices) to turn the album cover in to a synthesizer. No joke.

When I heard they’d done this, I first thought, “That is the coolest idea I’ve heard all year,” and then thought, “Yeah, this is perfect for them.”

It’s perfect because APTBS are always pushing the envelope and finding new ways to immerse you in sound. Beyond the wild feat of having an album cover that doubles as a musical instrument, Synthesizer is also a really good record that blasts you into an altered state.

Opening track “Disgust,” for example, blares at you right out of the gate, and Ackermann has said that it’s a half-joke “to turn people off from listening to the record.” Only the daring will venture on after the opening salvo. Only the daring will be rewarded with this track about the pleasure and pitfalls of lust, let alone the rest of the album. The guitars on “Don’t Be Sorry” are like stabs in a giallo film.

The synth bass of “Fear of Transformation” will get the industrial fans to pay attention as Ackermann sings about overcoming fear as it sometimes overwhelms us through the simplest things. Mrs. Fedowitz’s live drums mix well with electronic thumps, creating a near-panic – which is what the trio wanted us to feel all along. The haunting “Join the Crowd” is like a slow slide into a shadowy world that always seems to be on the edge of your vision as Ackermann wonders when people stopped caring about each other (“And is it me? Am I the only one here who even cares? Now I know why. You never had a choice or care.”).

“Bad Idea” has Mr. Fedowitz (whose “bad idea” for something to work on that day in the studio became the sone) considering a reconnection, even though it might cause him to end up flat on his face in the street. Ackermann’s guitar sounds like an angry beetle skittering around in a tin can at one point and like a miter saw in others, while Mr. Fedowitz’s bass line grumbles like a paranoid android.

Romance is a not-so-hidden theme on Synthesizer, and it’s great to hear Ackermann and the Fedowitzs embracing it. “You Got Me” is upbeat and reminds me of some early Cure tracks in that it mixes gothic tones so well with lyrics like “In a world where the universe is crashing down and there’s no hope, I feel ok. You question life, but there’s one thing you’ll never have to ask me. You got me.”

“It’s Too Much” is a fascinating mixed of warped sounds and more lyrics about being overcome with good emotions you haven’t felt in a long while (“I go out, but didn’t know you’d be there, and all this time I thought I was fine, but now I’m high.”). Mr. Fedowitz gives Peter Hook a run for his money on “Plastic Furniture.” I mean, come on, his bass riff on this is insane.

“Have You Ever Been in Love?” is a wild one, with Mrs. Fedowitz crushing her drum kit and adding spooky yet lovely backing vocals and cries throughout it – helping Ackermann express his anguish over a breakup (“Knife in heart. I want to die, seeing you pass me by.”). The closing track, “Comfort Never Comes,” might end up being a new synth-psych classic as it builds with gorgeous notes, Wall of Voodoo-like guitar chords, A Flock of Seagulls-like synth flourishes, and hypnotic rhythms. Ackermann acknowledges his faults in a relationship that’s beyond repair and that he wishes he could amend things (“You and I are in pieces. You could lift me like a stone…You and I are in pieces. I could lift you like a rose.”).

I can’t recommend this album enough to you. I’m sure it’s an absolute sonic wall coming at you on vinyl, but I encourage you to give it a deep headphone / earbud listen. Like any synthesizer played well, it changes the feel of everything around you and within you.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

A Place to Bury Strangers release “Fear of Transformation” just in time for the spooky season.

A Place To Bury Strangers release the new single/video, “Fear Of Transformation,” from their forthcoming album, Synthesizer, to be released digitally October 4th and on vinyl October 25th via Dedstrange. Following lead singles “Disgust,” “You Got Me,” and “Bad Idea,” “Fear Of Transformation” is a snarling, gothic techno-punk track that feels like getting body slammed by a wave out at sea. The track delves into the struggle of overcoming internal barriers. As frontman Oliver Ackermann explains, “Sometimes fear builds up and pins you in a cage. A conversation occurs in my head where I have to convince myself to just fucking do something to break out of it.” “Fear Of Transformation” embodies that internal dialogue, capturing the battle between the compulsion to avoid fear and the push to confront it. The song is a raw, intense conversation with the devil within.

The accompanying video was created by Chad Crawford Kinkle, director of Dementor and Jugface. A teenage boy sneaks out from his parent’s house to go to his first Furry party, but he has a secret. He’s actually a werewolf.

Watch the Video for “Fear of Transformation”

Synthesizer is the title of A Place to Bury Strangers’ seventh album. It is also a physical entity, a synthesizer made specifically for you to own, too, if you buy the record on vinyl. You can watch Ackermann demonstrate how to play the circuit board and functional synth album cover here. In an era of making music where so little is DIY and so much is left up to AI, to never setting foot in a practice room or a home studio, making something that feels deliberately chaotic, messy, and human, is entirely the point. Synthesizer very much feels like a record of reinvention. And of course, to ever so slightly reinvent one’s sound, one must also build a new instrument, thus again the synth in question. The resulting record is one that is romantic, colorful, loud as hell, wild, and fucked up just like the instrument itself.

Pre-order Synthesizer

Watch the “Disgust” Video

Watch the Video For “You Got Me”

Watch the Video for “Bad Idea”

A Place To Bury Strangers Tour Dates:

Thu. Oct. 3 – Berlin, DE @ Berlin Metropol [Record Release Show] %

Fri. Oct. 4 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen %

Sat. Oct. 5 – Oslo, NO @ Goldie %

Sun. Oct. 6 – Gothenburg, SE @ Fangelset %

Mon. Oct. 7 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan %

Wed. Oct 9 – Wroclaw, PL @ Lacznik %

Thu. Oct. 10 – Warsaw, PL @ Hybrydy %

Fri. Oct. 11 – Poznan, PL @ 2progi %

Sat. Oct. 12 – Bmo, CZ @ Kabinet Muz %

Sun. Oct 13 – Jena, DE KuBa Jena %

Fri. Oct. 25 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat &

Sat. Oct. 26 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings &

Sun. Oct. 27 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle &

Mon. Oct. 28 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl &

Wed. Oct. 30 – Houston, TX @ White Oak &

Thu. Oct. 31 – Austin, TX @ Levitation &

Sat. Nov. 2 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #

Sun. Nov. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom #

Mon. Nov. 4 – San Francisco, CA @ GAMH Psyched Fest #

Thu. Nov. 7 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #

Fr. Nov. 8 – Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival ^

Sat. Nov. 9 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl

% w/ Stella Rose

& w/ YHWH Nailgun

# w/ Pop Music Fever Dream

^ w/ The Black Angels, Martin Rev, The Black Lips & Shabazz Palaces

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t be afraid to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Steven at Dedstrange!]

A Place to Bury Strangers have a “Bad Idea” for their new single.

New-York based band A Place To Bury Strangers release their new single/video, “Bad Idea,” from their forthcoming album, Synthesizer, to be released digitally October 4th and on vinyl October 25th via Dedstrange. Following lead single “Disgust,” described as “one hell of a feedback-ridden ride” (Consequence), and the “addictive” (New Noise) single “You Got Me,” “Bad Idea” showcases the raw creativity of bassist John Fedowitz. “He came to the studio with a simple looping drum beat, thinking he didn’t have any good ideas—thus, the song was his ‘bad idea,’” says frontman Oliver Ackermann. “We each penned some lines on paper, and he sang the ones that resonated. After a few instrumental passes, the recording was complete. The result is an innovative track born from spontaneous collaboration and a touch of self-doubt, turned into something uniquely captivating.”

The video director for “Bad Idea,” Nick Kulp says, “While touring with the band doing visuals and lighting since 2022, I’ve been lucky enough to experience the band perform new songs and see the development of Synthesizer. In 2023, they started performing ‘Bad Idea’ and I was immediately hooked. It’s one of those live songs that really just takes you along for the ride and is really fun to do visuals and lights for. As the year went on we started talking about videos and elements for the new album and I was approached to do a video for this song and was immediately happy and grateful. I’ve been filming the band on tour and in their practice studio since December of 2023 and have been taking my Hi8 camera on the road and filming the shows. I tried my best to capture as much of the chaos of seeing the band live that I could — it’s an intense journey!”

Watch the Video for “Bad Idea”

The writing sessions for Synthesizer started in 2022 in the band’s Queens studio, shortly after the release of See Through You. A Place to Bury Strangers re-formed with a new lineup, Oliver Ackermann still at the helm, now featuring friends John and Sandra Fedowitz. Synthesizer very much feels like a record of reinvention. And of course, to ever so slightly reinvent one’s sound, one must also build a new instrument, thus again the synth in question.

The resulting record is one that is romantic, colorful, loud as hell. This is a band that is meant to be witnessed in a live setting, where the songs take on a new energy in the presence of a crowd. Ackermann founded the storied DIY space (and now effects pedal factory) Death By Audio. DBA, as a venue, had a collaborative, creative spirit of chaos and collectivity. That essence appears all over the band’s work, and Synthesizer is a raw collection of songs, wild and loud and fucked up just like the instrument itself.

Pre-order Synthesizer

Watch the “Disgust” Video

Watch the Video For “You Got Me”

A Place To Bury Strangers Tour Dates:
Sat. Sep. 21 – Groningen, NL @ Vicefest
Mon. Sep. 23 – London, UK @ The Shacklewell Arms
Tue. Sep. 24 – Wed. Sep. 25 – London, UK @ No90 Live Hackney Wick
Thu. Sep. 26 – Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute %
Fri. Sep. 27 – Dublin, IE @ The Grand Social %
Sat. Sep. 28 – Belfast, IE @ Oh Yeah %
Sun. Sep. 29 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo %
Mon. Sep. 30 – Bedford UK @ Esquire %
Thu. Oct. 3 – Berlin, DE @ Berlin Metropol [Record Release Show] %
Fri. Oct. 4 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen %
Sat. Oct. 5 – Oslo, NO @ Goldie %
Sun. Oct. 6 – Gothenburg, SE @ Fangelset %
Mon. Oct. 7 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan %
Wed. Oct 9 – Wroclaw, PL @ Lacznik %
Thu. Oct. 10 – Warsaw, PL @ Hybrydy %
Fri. Oct. 11 – Poznan, PL @ 2progi %
Sat. Oct. 12 – Bmo, CZ @ Kabinet Muz %
Sun. Oct 13 – Jena, DE KuBa Jena %
Fri. Oct. 25 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat &
Sat. Oct. 26 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings &
Sun. Oct. 27 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle &
Mon. Oct. 28 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl &
Wed. Oct. 30 – Houston, TX @ White Oak &
Thu. Oct. 31 – Austin, TX @ Levitation &
Sat. Nov. 2 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #
Sun. Nov. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom #
Mon. Nov. 4 – San Francisco, CA @ GAMH Psyched Fest #
Thu. Nov. 7 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #
Fr. Nov. 8 – Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival ^
Sat. Nov. 9 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl

% w/ Stella Rose
& w/ YHWH Nailgun
# w/ Pop Music Fever Dream
^ w/ The Black Angels, Martin Rev, The Black Lips & Shabazz Palaces

Keep your mind open.

[It’s a good idea to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

A Place to Bury Strangers unleash “Disgust” from their upcoming album, “Synthesizer,” due October 04, 2024.

New-York based band A Place To Bury Strangers release the new single/video, “You Got Me,” from their forthcoming seventh album, Synthesizer, out October 4th via Dedstrange. Following lead single “Disgust,” which “sounds as pleasurable and danceable as it does revolting and mangled,” (Paste), “You Got Me” continues to follow suit. The earworm is representative of a photograph from a perfect summer of love, lust, breaking out from the pack, and getting lost in the night. In the middle of the track, a field recording from one of those kinds of days on the beach can be heard as a 747 barrels through the sky overhead. Play it loud, and play it now.

Watch the Video For “You Got Me”

Synthesizer is the title of the album, but it is also a physical entity, a synthesizer made specifically for A Place to Bury Strangers’ seventh album (a synthesizer that you too, can own (in part), if you buy the record on vinyl). In an era of making music where so little is DIY and so much is left up to AI, never setting foot in a practice room or a home studio, making something that feels deliberately chaotic, messy, and human, is entirely the point. Synthesizer is a record that celebrates sounds that are spontaneous and natural, the kind of music that can only come from collaboration and community.

The writing sessions for Synthesizer started in the band’s Queens studio, shortly after the release of 2022’s See Through You. The band re-formed with a new lineup, Ackermann still at the helm, now featuring friends John and Sandra Fedowitz. This new iteration of the band was inspiring for Ackermann, “It felt like a fresh new thing,” he says, “I wanted to write songs everyone was excited about playing.” Indeed, the sense of connectivity is everywhere on the record. Synthesizer very much feels like a record of reinvention, of taking a carefully honed aesthetic and sound and cracking it wide open, gutting it, reimagining it. And of course, to ever so slightly reinvent one’s sound, one must also build a new instrument, thus again the synth in question. The resulting record is one that is romantic, colorful, loud as hell, and one of A Place to Bury Strangers’ most live sounding records to date.

Pre-order Synthesizer

Watch the “Disgust” Video

A Place To Bury Strangers Tour Dates:
Sat. Sep. 7 – Xi’an, CN @ Loop Festival
Sat. Sep. 21 – Groningen, NL @ – Vicefest
Mon. Sep. 23 – London, UK @ The Shacklewell Arms
Tue. Sep. 24 – Wed. Sep. 25 – London, UK @ No90 Live Hackney Wick
Thu. Sep. 26 – Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute %
Fri. Sep. 27 – Dublin, IE @ The Grand Social %
Sat. Sep. 28 – Belfast, IE @ Oh Yeah %
Sun. Sep. 29 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo %
Mon. Sep. 30 – Bedford UK @ Esquire %
Thu. Oct. 3 – Berlin, DE @ Berlin Metropol [Record Release Show] %
Fri. Oct. 4 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen %
Sat. Oct. 5 – Oslo, NO @ Goldie %
Sun. Oct. 6 – Gothenburg, SE @ Fangelset %
Mon. Oct. 7 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan %
Wed. Oct 9 – Wroclaw, PL @ Lacznik %
Thu. Oct. 10 – Warsaw, PL @ Hybrydy %
Fri. Oct. 11 – Poznan, PL @ 2progi %
Sat. Oct. 12 – Bmo, CZ @ Kabinet Muz %
Sun. Oct 13 – Jena, DE KuBa Jena %
Fri. Oct. 25 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat &
Sat. Oct. 26 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings &
Sun. Oct. 27 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle &
Mon. Oct. 28 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl &
Wed. Oct. 30 – Houston, TX @ White Oak &
Thu. Oct. 31 – Austin, TX @ Levitation &
Sat. Nov. 2 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #
Sun. Nov. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom #
Mon. Nov. 4 – San Francisco, CA @ GAMH Psyched Fest #
Thu. Nov. 7 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #
Fr. Nov. 8 – Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival ^
Sat. Nov. 9 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl

% w/ Stella Rose
& w/ YHWH Nailgun
# w/ Pop Music Fever Dream
^ w/ The Black Angels, Martin Rev, The Black Lips & Shabazz Palaces

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t be a stranger. Subscribe!]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]