TIN GUN – We Are Not Your Enemy
There’s a certain air of mystique surrounding the members of new outfit Tin Gun. Hailing from Tintagel, the 3-piece group prefer to keep their identities under wraps for now (something other bands have also turned to their advantage).
Tin Gun’s chief MO is to make alternative electronic music that tells a story via personal, social and political narratives (The phrase “taking a stand” is one the band emphasise in their bio).
Despite the mystery, one figure has been unveiled for the band’s debut release. Peter Steer (Tenek/Sinestar) is on hand for guest vocals on ‘We Are Not Your Enemy’. It’s a composition built up from burbling layered synths which rises on the euphoric draw of the chorus/title. As a song, it works its magic in a stealthy fashion and the end result is a gritty engaging slice of alternative synth-pop.
https://tingun.bandcamp.com/releases
TEN AFTER DAWN – Club
From Finland, the dark synth-pop stylings of Ten After Dawn sees an electronic act drawing from a variety of influences, including classic synth-pop and European EBM. Founding members Teemu Salo and Toni Viholainen emerged from a more traditional rock/pop background and, as Ten After Dawn, released a series of singles before issuing their EP Best of Both Words in April 2017.
‘Club’ offers a curious combination of energetic melodies and a darker rhythmic body. For those that like their EBM to have a more spiky aspect to it, this should slot in neatly into their playlists.
Ten After Dawn have also taken their dark wave tunes on the road with live performances in Germany, Denmark, Russia and the Baltics as well as their native Finland.
https://tenafterdawn.bandcamp.com/
BOX AND THE TWINS – The First Dream
Cologne is home to dark pop outfit Box and the Twins who return with new album Zerfall (following their 2016 debut album Everywhere I Go is Silence).
The new album’s subtitle “10 Songs of Pain and Boredom“ refers to the Arthur Schopenhauer quote, stating that those attributes are the true enemies of human happiness. It’s a theme that’s reflected on the album’s first single ‘The First Dream’ that picks up on this duality, echoing between boundaries and dissolution.
There’s certainly a gothic sensibility at work on this outing which at times suggests a dark electro take on Siouxsie & The Banshees. The vocals from lead singer Box offer a beguiling quality that haunts a soundscape steeped in melancholia.
Zerfall is out on Synth Religion 31st October 2019.
boxandthetwins.bandcamp.com
