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Electro Rock

Paradise Drive’s ‘The Phenomenon’: Alt-Rock’s Interstellar Ride into Sonic Rapture

Posted on 5 April 2025
Paradise Drive

Paradise Drive is an alt-rock powerhouse delivering orbital euphoria through razor-sharp songwriting chops, interstellar production stylings, and a seamless transcendence beyond simply presenting as a talented act. Throughout their latest album, The Phenomenon, you won’t merely marvel at the evident virtuosity; instead, you’ll become locked into every emotional nuance as it ebbs and flows through kaleidoscopically alchemic progressions.

The opening track pulls you into a riff-raw reverie reminiscent of 00s indie rock—yet propelled further by spacey pedal-to-the-metal momentum, allowing oscillations to move effortlessly via sonic osmosis from airwaves into emotion. Bridging anthemic resonance with introspective quiescence, Paradise Drive taps uncharted intersections within alt-rock, confidently steering innovation towards one of the most dynamic albums of 2025.

From 80s new-wave synth-pop ballads like the standout single, ‘Girl on the Plane’, which fans of The Midnight will undoubtedly devour, to the cathartic rancour of ‘Let’s Be Clear’, The Phenomenon exceeds the promise implied by its title, leaving nothing to be viscerally or evocatively desired.

Led by guitarist and vocalist Hugo De Bernardo, Paradise Drive creates meteoric, immersive experiences, fusing the soulful ambition of Coldplay, U2’s ethereal expansiveness, and the contemporary zest of The Band Camino. Their songs, anchored by themes of love, heartbreak, and personal evolution, resonate affectingly through soaring melodies and lush, electronic-tinged rock landscapes, proving their powerhouse reputation is well-deserved.

The Phenomenon is now available to stream on all major platforms. Discover your preferred way to listen via the artist’s website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Raven (G185TARR Vandal Mix) – A Hypersonic Surge of Industrial Chaos and Alt-Rock Melodicism

Posted on 12 March 2025

The G185TARR Vandal Mix of Ami Leigh’s seminal single, The Raven, detonates with hypersonic industrial electro rock before the mechanical intensity makes way for indie rock melodicism that finds new intersections through punk ethos. It’s a sonic collision course, where rallyingly magnetic vocals evoke alt-90s nostalgia as they glide across white-hot guitars and the brutal percussive force driving the track forward.

Bringing the rough with the smooth, the seductive with the savage, Leigh lands in an intrinsically distinctive alt-rock domain, toying with elements of post-hardcore before tossing them aside in favour of a pop-hooked chorus. The contrast is a masterstroke—every shift in momentum feels calculated yet completely untamed.

The mix affirms that Ami Leigh isn’t just making noise in the North East—she’s forging a path with her fearless genre fluidity. As a fixture on BBC Introducing and international radio charts, her ability to adapt and innovate is on full display in The Raven. It’s the epitome of an infectious anthem, engineered to leave an imprint long after the final synth riff signals its departure.

Stream the official video of The Raven Remix on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

FAERYS Sever the Puppet Strings and Strike with ‘Control’

Posted on 8 February 2025

After slipping into the ether following their debut ‘Nova Scotia’, FAERYS have returned with ‘Control’, a sophomore single that takes no prisoners. The duo, known for tearing through genre lines like they’re made of tissue paper, are dialling everything up to eleven—synth-driven melodies crackle under the weight of colossal guitars, while pulsating beats and atmospheric textures ensure the walls close in with oppressive force.

FAERYS are no strangers to disruption. Their debut racked up 500k streams and left a dent in the electro-rock scene. ‘Control’ sees them storming back with a track that seizes attention with ironclad fists. It’s a white-hot, scorching attack on tyranny, cutting the marionette strings and igniting in an autonomous blaze of glory. The duality at play between the hypnotic, She Drew the Gun-esque female vocals and the razor-sharp Saul Williams reminiscent rap bars—delivered by a fierce London-based rapper—fuels a current potent enough to power a grid. The result is an industrial-charged riot, where every sonic element serves as both ignition and explosion.

Recorded in Brixton and marking the first two tracks of their upcoming EP, ‘Control’ signals that the duo is as indomitable as ever.

Control hit the airwaves on January 31st; stream it on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Asterhouse’s ‘Sick Millenia’ is a Meteor of Raw Indie Electro Rock Thunder

Posted on 25 December 2024

‘Sick Millenia’ is a fistful of rock reinvention from Seattle’s power-rock force, Asterhouse. Their knack for choppy, angular staccato riffs is matched only by the irresistible spark of the crystalline vocals, which slip across the frenetic pulses with a potent sense of urgency. While the Arcade Fire-esque synths keep the track firmly in the contemporary sphere, there’s an undeniable nod to the glory days of Emerald City punk that charges the song with adrenalized intensity.

Asterhouse recently showcased their talents through a residency at Climate Pledge Arena and a seminal KEXP in-studio session, building on their tradition of unleashing ethereal rhythmic power at iconic venues such as The Neptune Theatre, The Showbox, Neumos, The Crocodile, and Chop Suey.

This new single proves that the band aren’t simply documenting the malaise of modern life; they’re offering an efficacious salve through a hefty dose of full-throttle instrumentation and a whirlwind of hooks that tear beyond the rhythmic pulses and straight into the soul.

Sick Millenia is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Embers of Silence unleashed his industrialised electroclash pop-rock lament on capitalism, Attaboi

Posted on 3 March 2024

After the prelude echoes the nostalgia of the scuzzy hooks to The Cardigan’s My Favourite Game, the industrialised electroclash of pop and rock, Attaboi, from Embers of Silence evolves into a juggernautical earworm that swaggers with as much attitude as the spikiest icons of Britpop.

The lament on contemporary capitalism is infectious from the first deliciously distorted & discordant note, from there on out, every hyper hook and slice of snarled vocal mesmerism pulls you deeper into the infectiously augmented protest track that exemplifies the multi-instrumentalist and producer’s artistic intellectualism.

It’s not every day that you encounter an artist with the ability to make cerebral art accessible and void of pretension. Clearly, the Ohio-hailing one-man machine, Samuel Austin is a rare visionary, one that would sit well on the playlists of Tears for the Dying, Atari Teenage Riot, and Machine Girl.

If the upcoming LP, A Beautiful Thing, carries an ounce of the cultivation in Attaboi, it will easily be a contender for one of the best albums of 2024.

Stream the Single Mix of Attaboi via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Embrace the retro-future with The Exotic Ices Project’s seminal track, Disciple

Posted on 21 December 2023

Stepping out from the shadows of their former band, Ruby Jones and Patrick Spillane of The Exotic Ices Project ignited a fuse on a synth-pop explosion with their seminal single Disciples. The standout from their debut album, Sunshine Desserts, is a vibrant testament to their musical evolution and a bold statement in the world of new wave synth-pop.

Opening with a cascade of twinkling synths, reminiscent of stardust spanning the entire colour spectrum, the auditory spectacle sets the stage for a journey through a soundscape that is both familiar and refreshingly, chaotically, novel.

After capturing the essence of the 80s and propelling it into the modern era, the track takes an unexpected turn as choppy, staccato guitars enter, bolstering the composition with a raw, electrifying energy. This shift creates a synthscape driven by the tumultuousness of unchained emotion.

While Disciples may not align with everyone’s musical palette, it is a treasure for those who revel in the brighter, more intense shades of retro synth-pop. The track encapsulates the fervid dedication of its namesake, transcending into a realm of electro-rock fervour. It’s a daring composition, one that challenges the listener while remaining undeniably captivating.

With their bold colours and explorative sonic universes, Ruby and Patrick are not just riding the wave of synth-pop; they are redefining it.

The official music video for Disciple is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Speaker Cabinets unleashed euphonically augmented sci-fi escapism in their alt-indie sophomore LP, Tales from New Babel

Posted on 9 November 2023

For their sophomore LP, the Barcelona trio Speaker Cabinets spun ‘Tales from New Babel’ over an indie aesthetic that will ricochet you right back to the 00s alt-indie rock era with reminiscences of Kasabian, The Futureheads, and The Courteeners.

With an additional layer of Euro folk in the opening single, Ghost Town, there will be little deliberation as to whether Speaker Cabinets stamped down a distinctive sonic signature within the anthemics of their dance-worthy and constraintlessly daring concept EP. When you’re not ensnared in the hooks, you’ll be immersed in a sci-fi tale of retribution. The standout single, The Fall, is a straight-up space rock attest to the imaginative ingenuity of the powerhouse, who will seemingly go to any mind-altering length to deliver euphonically augmented escapism to their fans.

The band’s electro-heavy sophomore LP was released on October 20 along with a 6-episode podcast, which shares the story of their zany creation. Delve into the sonic sci-fi franchise, you’re unlikely to regret it.

Stream the Speaker Cabinets sophomore LP by heading to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cali’s sardonic sons El Greasy delivered industrialised synth rock debauchery in their debut, Bad Night for Leather

Posted on 3 November 2023
El Greasy

The Oakland, California melodramatic prodigies, El Greasy, greased up synth-rock to a debauched degree in their debut single and music video, Bad Night for Leather.

After feeling the synergy over Zoom during the lockdowns, the duo laid down seven soon-to-be seminal singles with engineer Ben Hirschfield at Nu-Tone Studios; Bad Night for Leather is the first dripping of their sardonically industrialised sound which obliterated the alt-rock mould.

So much more than the sum of their stoner rock influences, El Greasy’s big, brash, and bold energy lent itself effortlessly well to the narrative weaved through the superlative track which unfurls snarls towards protagonists who believe that superficial modifications will have untold benefits on the pitifulness of their unself-aware existence.

It is easy to see El Greasy riffing their way into the blackened hearts of everyone who takes their alt-rock with adrenalized shots of big-beat electronica and heavy doses of lyrical intellectualism, which elucidates phenomena that your average song crafter wouldn’t dare to work into their concepts. They’re a razor-sharp cut above the rest with their ability to put your speakers to the test while stretching your imagination with their tensile wit.

El Greasy said

“Bad Night for Leather portrays the experience of loneliness and self-acceptance during a night out in the big city.  Inspired by a night of heavy drinking in Berlin, the protagonist retells the story of the night he was kicked out of a bar and stumbled by a pawn shop with a cool leather jacket in the window. By wearing the jacket, he thinks he’ll get into any bar or nightclub but is soundly rejected again and again by surreally large bouncers and the terrorizing “eye” of CCTV cameras.

The character laments that “I let myself get to me” and accepts that it was a “Bad Night for Leather.” The main idea is a character doing something over the top to gain the approval of others when there is no guarantee of this occurring.”

–

If you can’t get enough of Bad Night for Leather, you won’t have long to wait for the drop of their antithesis of a Christmas single, Jesus Fucking Christ, which is set to rain blasphemy onto the airwaves in December 2023.

The single and official music video for Bad Night for Leather will drop on November 3rd; stream it on YouTube.

Head to El Greasy’s official website, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with future releases and antics.

 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Twysted is post post-rock in their future-ready electro-rock hit, Out of Yay

Posted on 1 July 2023

For their latest single, Out of Yay, the up-and-coming experimentalist, Twysted put a histrionically spacey spin on electro-rock. The pioneeringly orchestrated hit unravels as a series of curveballs to knock you off kilter with every progression.

If Shinedown collaborated with Skrillex and the two icons of their respective genre added a smorgasbord of theatrical flair to their production styles, the end result would be somewhat akin to the infectious sonic insanity that prevails throughout Out of Yay.

The bass dubs towards the outro are futuristic enough to put Bring Me the Horizon in the same nostalgic league of Guns N Roses, yet, Twysted still found enough room for a few classic rock elements, which resound in the soaringly smooth vocal lines and assuring ring of the acoustic guitars.

Out of Yay will hit all major streaming platforms on July 1st. Hear it on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bear Witness ticked the underbelly of madness with their addictively grooved alt-rock hit, INSANE

Posted on 13 April 2023

The Brighton-based brother duo, Bear Witness, tickled the soft underbelly of madness in their latest addictively grooved alt-rock hit, INSANE, which unravels as an arm wrestle between the strength of the hooks and riffs.

The hooks may have a slight advantage through their ability to pull you right into the riled core of the exhilarating feat of soul, but the tensile technicality of the supernovically overdriven guitars still plays an absorbing part in this candidly un-candied window into entropy.

The electronic synthetics of the track may allow INSANE to flirt with the post-rock genre, but rock fans will never have been seduced in this vein before. It’s a mainline of pure resonance that affirms Bear Witness is one to watch.

INSANE hit the airwaves on March 31; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast