#gothy synthpop

[iheartmoosiq]

Earlier this year, we shared a remix of Zola Jesus’ Ash to Bone by Johnny Jewel. We were floored that the gothy synthpop queen and the Chromatics and Glass Candy mastermind has united for a gloriously synth glowering edit of her Okovi track. Well, guess what? Zola Jesus has now released a whole new EP of Johnny Jewel helmed remixes, entitled, what else, but Remixed By Johnny Jewel. It opens with that aforementioned remix and includes several edits of Ash To Bone as well as Wiseblood, including this cut, a synth droning slow waltz that somehow feels exultant and elated, triumphant and victorious, despite its caliginous atmosphere. The full remix EP can be streamed/purchased from Bandcamp, here.

[iheartmoosiq]

Three years ago, when we first stumbled across Pastel Ghost and her dark bewitching music, the musician was based right here in the Bay, out of Oakland. We were immediately drawn to her gothy electropop and darkwavey electronica, which quickly evokes the likes of Crystal Castles (RIP), Alice Glass, TR/ST, Pictureplane, and other such edgy and opaque projects. We were quick to feature the artist; we even wrote about Pastel Ghost for the Official SXSW Blogger’s Guide soon afterwards. Fast forward to now, and Pastel Ghost, aka Vivian Moon, is now based out of Austin, the very city in which SXSW unfolds every year. The musician has also announced her second album, Ethereality, due out October 5th on Cleopatra Records. Let’s take a little dip in the very ether of her entrancing music as we dive into new single Mercury, an inky throbbing, ghostly gliding effusion of witchy, icy electronica and dream-like fantasies. It’s exactly the kind of gossamer haunting, foggy lush music that my twisted heart can’t resist. Pastel Ghost will play a record release show at Austin venue Elysium on October 5th, with more dates to be announced soon. Let’s hope that she comes back to the Bay Area on tour, too. Pre-order Ethereality, here.

[iheartmoosiq]

I’m still glowing from an epic night at the Independent in San Francisco two months ago when goth queens Zola Jesus and Alice Glass co-headlined the venue during their Snowblood Tour. Alice performed songs from her debut solo EP as well as some sweet surprises with that feral intensity we love so much about her. And now she’s back with a new song named Mine, surprising us with its soft, fleecy synthpop lucidity. The song arrives with a music video directed by Lucas David, featuring drag queen Violet Chachki, who won RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7. Despite its dulcet tendencies, Mine carries a gentle sadness in its mellifluous vocals and pellucid beats. It’s a welcome balm from Alice Glass that diverges from her more cacophonous, vehement offerings. Mine is available from iTunes, here.