Following up on their White EP, Lowsunday have continued their return of fine industrial shoegaze with the Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP.
“You’re So Wired” (a song about the confusing state between dreaming and waking) opens the dark gates with heavy reverb vocals, fuzzy yet bold guitars, and snappy drum beats to either snap you out of your brain fog or plunge you back into it, depending on which you choose.
The bouncy, yet warped guitars on “Shattered” are fascinating. It’s prime shoegaze stuff with Shane Sahene‘s vocals echoing everywhere to the point where you’re never sure if he’s singing or just making vocal sounds. It’s good either way. “Someone to Talk to” continues the strange, jangly guitar work by Sahene and Bobby Spell‘s bass creepily crawls all around you.
“This Is Not Heaven” is a goth track you heard in a dream once after you spent the night with some cool people you met at a club who gave you a ride to an all-night diner in the middle of nowhere in their car that smelled like clove cigarettes and jasmine. It’s a song that would give A Place to Bury Strangers a run for their money.
The EP ends with “Don’t Want to Dream Again” and some of Spell’s best bass work on the record. Seriously, that groove is outstanding.
Lowsunday’s Black EP helps you find presence with its fuzzy hooks and dreamy vocals. Good shoegaze is always a treat, so don’t skip this.
Formed in the mid-1990s in Pittsburgh, Lowsunday (initially known as Low Sunday Ghost Machine) emerged as a “retro-futurist” pioneer, blending darkwave and shoegaze long before the genres saw their modern revival. Their legacy was cemented with their debut album ‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine’and the 1999 masterpiece ‘Elesgiem’, both of which were re-released via Projekt Records over the past 18 months (for their 30th and 25th anniversaries, respectively).
The band dissolved, leaving behind a cult reputation for mercurial sounds and blistering guitar work that set the stage for subsequent generations of alternative artists. Following a nearly 25-year period of inactivity, the band resurfaced as a duo in 2025—consisting of original members Shane Sahene (vocals, guitar, synth, bass, drums) and Bobby Spell (bass, guitar, drums).
“‘This is Not Heaven’ was the last song we recorded for the Black EP. We really enjoyed injecting the heavy synths on the chorus, the asymmetrical guitar leads and the driving bass line beneath an intricate and melodic rhythm guitar,” says Shane Sahene.
“We felt this song captured everything we are about in that it hits the refrains with a shoegaze atmosphere, more electronic choruses and lyrical transparency, much less vague than many of our songs… it touches on many aspects of our sound.”
Bobby Spell adds, “This was another really enjoyable song to write. The guitar textures and melody lines create a dark song with uplifting sections. The mood shifts in the choruses giving a feeling of brightness or a way out of melancholy”.
Crafting a sound defined by atmosphere, precision, and heartfelt shadow and depths since 1994, Lowsunday is now asserting their presence with a new force. While the ‘White EP’ explored light and texture, the ‘Black EP’ is ultimately the 2026 series’ darker counterpart and definitive statement.
Plunged into shadow and intensity with layered guitars, tight rhythms, and austere synths amplifying themes of isolation, reverie and introspection, the ‘Black EP’ distills Lowsunday’s vision into a sharper, more potent form — a bold declaration of their enduring artistic power.
‘This Is Not Heaven’ is available from digital platforms such as SpotifyandApple Music. The ‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP’ will be released on May 15th digitally. The ‘White EP’ is available now via Bandcampand the Projekt Recordswebsite – the vinyl edition of both EPs are limited to 200 copies. The two anniversary reissue albums, as well as the limited edition 7″ of ‘Static / Besides’, can also be found on these platforms.
Coming back with their first new music since 1999, Lowsunday bring you a lot of heavy shoegaze riffs, post-punk bass, and psychedelic reverb on their Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP.
“Nevver” (Or is it “Newer?”) has lead vocalist Shane Sahene musing over how apathy has overcome him (“I used to care too much. Now I can’t care less.”) while Bobby Spell‘s near-disco bass line rumbles around him. “Call Silence” is a slick track of gothic shoegaze about missing a loved one after a breakup or a death when you realize they’re no longer going to answer your call.
On “Soft Capture,” Sahene realizes he’s the problem with lyrics like “I wish I believed you and I weren’t sick of me.” The Joy Division influence on the track is evident with its thick bass, spacey guitars, and distant vocals. “You Lost Yourself” reminds me a bit of early stuff from A Place to Bury Strangers, and has sharp lyrics about games played in relationships like “Some pretend to love while others love to pretend.” The bass and drums work especially well together on this track, too.
The EP closes with the sharp yet heavy “Love Language.” It could be a new darkwave smash. The wall of sound it creates is impressive and a bit intimidating, and Sahene’s hope that learning to love someone will at least slow down the pain inside him resonates with anyone who’s been lonely (AKA all of us).
It’s a good return for these chaps, and an EP that will help you drift into a different headspace for a little while.
Keep your mind open.
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