ACTORS
PROMO
Headlining at Crowbar on October 8th is the band Actors!! From Vancouver, post-punk band @actorsmusic produces music that “stands all on its own, full of life and complete with unforgettable hooks” and is among groups that “are pushing music forward via a deep knowledge of the past.” We are so excited to welcome them back to Absolution Fest!!
BIO
From Vancouver in Canada, post-punk outfit ACTORS released a string of popular singles, starting with “Post Traumatic Love” in 2012, building a dedicated fanbase while eschewing a debut album release for the band’s first six years of existence. In 2018, the Jason Corbett-led foursome signed with Toronto-based Artoffact Records and released its long-awaited debut, It Will Come to You, and quickly became one of the marquee acts on the label.
Songs like “L’appel du Vide,” “Slaves,” “Face Meets Glass,” and “Bury Me” are bangers that glisten via Corbett’s production job: infectious beats propel warm layers of synth (courtesy Shannon Hemmett), bass (Jahmeel Russell), and drums (Adam Fink). Corbett writes, produces, mixes, and masters all ACTORS music at his own Vancouver studio, Jacknife Sound and names David Bowie as a fundamental influence – Bowie’s sense of confidence and creativity are in full effect on It Will Come to You. But much more than a retro act, this is music that stands all on its own, full of life and complete with unforgettable hooks. Perhaps best described as a “post-post-punk” band, ACTORS belongs in the mix alongside bands like The Soft Moon and Cold Cave who are pushing music forward via a deep knowledge of the past.
ACTORS spent the 18 months after the release of It Will Come to You touring the USA, Canada, and Europe, while hitting many of the best-loved festivals, including Terminus Festival, Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Cold Waves, Infest, A Murder of Crows, and many others. The band gave sessions to LA’s Part Time Punks and Seattle’s KEXP, while their songs “Slaves” & “Crystal” found their way to episodes of the Netflix series The Order, and “We Don’t Have to Dance” was featured in Nancy Drew. ACTORS’ vinyl entered its third pressing in 2019, and the band announced further tour dates on both sides of the pond.
In Late 2020, ACTORS announced a new single, “Love U More,” with Juno-Award winning director Peter Ricq contributing his talents to the accompanying video. They also announced new member Kendall Wooding on bass and the departure of Jahmeel Russell who wished to focus on other projects. The band’s sophomore album Acts of Worship will be released on Artoffact Records in 2021.
ASTARI NITE
PROMO
Florida natives, Astari Nite, cross an obscure mix between gothic rock and post-punk, exploring themes of death, love and the occult.
BIO
KORINE
PROMO
Korine is a Philadelphia-based electronic pop duo comprised of members Morgy Ramona and Trey Frye. The pair blends new wave nostalgia with modern pop sensibility, contrasting upbeat rhythms against sullen, emotionally evocative lyrics. Their most recent album “The Night We Raise” shows the band growing even further into their own.
KANGA
PROMO
KANGA is an electronic musician, producer, and remixer from Los Angeles, CA. Championed by electronica icon Gary Numan and widely
considered one of the finest darkwave purveyors, KANGA fuses post-apocalyptic pop sensibilities with body-shaking rhythms and sinuous melodies. The new album "YOU AND I WILL NEVER DIE" is out on Artoffact Records and can be purchased and streamed now.
BOOTBLACKS
PROMO
We are pleased to announce that Brooklyn-based post-punk band Bootblacks will be joining us for Absolution Fest 2021!!
BIO
COLD MEDICINE
PROMO
Cold Medicine is the Dark solo project by Phil Taylor of the band Sleeping Pills.
BIO
GULF BLVD
PROMO
Gulf Blvd is a Darkwave band hailing from Tampa, Florida that brings together an amalgamation of different sounds ranging from Industrial to Synthwave
SINE
PROMO/BIO
SINE is an alternative rock/electronic band created and led by singer and drummer Rona Rougeheart. She has stepped from behind the kit to create her own substantial, sexy female-fronted project that weaves dance beats with industrial noise and layers of booming bass, synths, and guitars into a mix of jagged textures and dark, lush fusions.
Rona was born in New York, the youngest daughter of a Taiwanese mother and Irish father. She grew up as a military child, living all over the U.S. and in Okinawa, Japan. Her father was a musician who taught her how to play keys and guitar. It wasn’t until later, she decided to take up drums on her own. Early in her musical career, she played drums for multiple bands in Austin, TX, catching the eye of Gretsch Drums, who, in 2012, gave her her first endorsement. Gibraltar hardware also added her to their roster. In April 2019, she landed a sole opening slot with her band SINE for Peter Murphy in Orlando, FL, for the 40th Anniversary of Bauhaus Ruby Tour with David J. The night seemed ill-fated when Peter was unable to perform but was revitalized when she joined David J, Curse Mackey, Mark Gemini-Thwaite, and Marc Slutsky for an impromptu performance of Bauhaus tunes. From that night, a new project emerged between David J, Curse Mackey, and herself, to be released in 20/21. She continues to write new music and work on future collaborations.
CURSE MACKEY
PROMO/BIO
Esoteric Electronic. Curse Mackey's debut solo album is a charismatic trailblazer merging darkwave, industrial, post-punk and ambient doom in an extremely well-produced & surrealistic fashion.
Features a special appearance from Ronny Moorings, Founder of Clan of Xymox.
Curse is a long-time member of industrial supergroup PIGFACE and a remixer, DJ, producer based in Austin, TX.
SINE is an alternative rock/electronic band created and led by singer and drummer Rona Rougeheart. She has stepped from behind the kit to create her own substantial, sexy female-fronted project that weaves dance beats with industrial noise and layers of booming bass, synths, and guitars into a mix of jagged textures and dark, lush fusions.
ROSEGARDEN FuNERAL PARTY
PROMO
Rising from the inferno of heartbreak with a determination towards gentility, humility, graciousness, and kindness, Rosegarden Funeral Party takes influence from life’s tragedies and spins chaos into beauty. Leah Lane fronts the band with a voice like that of the lovechild between Morrissey and Siouxsie Sioux and her guitar playing has been compared to that of Daniel Ash. Wil Farrier’s bass playing takes obvious inspiration from Peter Hook. Synths trapped in the loving arms of the 1980’s. With rhythmic percussion and drums inspired by dark dance floors by Dylan Stamas, Rosegarden Funeral Party prove to be the second-coming of traditional goth.
THE BELLWETHER SYNDICATE
Formed in 2012, THE BELLWETHER SYNDICATE is fronted by veteran artist William Faith (vocals/guitars), and Sarah Rose Faith (vocals/guitars). While the studio recordings are made by William and Sarah alone, the live lineup includes Paul Sin (bass) and Philly Peroxide (keyboards/percussion), and Stevyn Grey (drums). The band has always sought to color outside of prescribed genre lines, endeavoring to push past the boundaries of style into something substantial and vital.
DEATH LOVES VERONICA
Recently signed to @cold_transmission_official and releasing a new album, Chemical, this coming Friday (5/21/21), Veronica Campbell has composed and performed music for several years with post-punk and death rock acts. Her solo project involves analog synth, guitar and experimental sounds which give it a dark electronic feel reminiscent of the new wave 80s and the electronic post-punk movement. We can’t wait to see her in Tampa!!
KISS OF THE WHIP
We’re also excited to announce that @kissovthewhip will be performing at Absolution Fest 2021! They are a dark electronic project formed in 2017 by Montreal-Born artist and producer Tristan Victor, currently located in Baltimore, Maryland. His first two albums ‘Like Love Only Real’ and ‘New Lows’ were rooted in darkwave, post-punk and dark electro. Kiss of the Whip quickly gained an underground following in Europe and the United States. Following a 2020 signing to Cold Transmission Music (@cold_transmission_official), Victor is bringing his darkly uplifting sounds to an increasing variety of audiences.
HALLOWS
@hallowsmusic_ is a duo consisting of Vanee D and Dom R, started in Minneapolis in 2018 and later migrating to Seattle. They explore themes of unease and loneliness in their music, staying true to darkwave and post-punk while incorporating the influences of other genres and art forms. We are so excited to welcome Hallows to Absolution Fest 2021!!
The Kentucky Vampires
Though considered a deathrock band at its core, The Kentucky Vampires has been known to mesh elements of post-punk, goth rock, and horror rock into an experience, some have considered beautiful, but scary.