With their latest track debut, “Mannequin Walks,” Los Angeles-based act More Ephemerol dives headfirst into a world of bizarre, animated chaos. A blistering synth-punk fever dream, the track imagines a twisted tale where mannequins break free from their shopfront prisons to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world. For the first two-thirds, “Mannequin Walks” doesn’t just walk—it charges forward, fueled by a relentless synthesizer-laced aggression that barrels forward like a runaway freight train. Then, without warning, the track takes a hard left turn into an eerie duet between C. Fjerstad and Mirror of Venus’ Margot Rhodes. Their voices, woven together in haunting harmonies over minimalist synths, create a spectral waltz that is both surreal and sublime—a chaotic cabaret of sound.
With “Mannequin Walks,” More Emphemerol conjures a surreal concoction that pays homage to the off-kilter stylings of French avant-garde legends Martin Dupont, mixing a wicked blend of the macabre and the minimalist. The song serves as an unsettling soundtrack to the looming Season of the Witch, where macabre beats dance hand-in-hand with eerie, minimalist magic. It’s the kind of song that haunts your heart like a delirious descent into the uncanny.
“Mannequin Walks” comes mixed by the alchemist of sound, Jorge Elbrecht, and mastered by the ever-meticulous Josh Bonati. Together, they shape the single into a multi-layered spectacle that demands repeat listens.
Listen below:
“Mannequin Walks” is one of two unearthed gems from the Apotheosis Pageant LP sessions, tracks that were just too strange and sinister to make the final cut. But More Ephemerol, true to form as purveyors of the peculiar, decided these spectral sounds deserved their own spotlight. The result? A Deluxe Edition of Apotheosis Pageant, featuring five additional tracks: the spectral B-sides “HYPERNUMB” and “Mannequin Walks,” a long-lost instrumental, and two raw demo versions that offer a glimpse into the album’s darker corners.
Order the Deluxe Edition of Apotheosis Pageant here.
More Ephemerol isn’t stopping there. The duo is gearing up for their “Irrational Impulse Tour 2024,” a three-week jaunt across the U.S. alongside fellow sonic provocateurs DILDØX. With Gina Kuhn of Bustié stepping in for Tamara Sky, who is on maternity leave, the tour promises to be a whirl of abrasive synths and unrestrained energy. This co-headline adventure kicks off in San Francisco on September 13th and barrels through cities coast to coast.
Tour Dates:
- 9/13 – San Francisco, The Knockout
- 9/14 – Modesto, Speakeasy Lounge
- 9/15 – Reno, 4th Street Brewery
- 9/16 – Salt Lake City, International Bar
- 9/18 – Denver, Glob
- 9/19 – Omaha, The Sydney
- 9/20 – Minneapolis, Mortimer’s
- 9/21 – Chicago, Cole’s
- 9/23 – Detroit, Lager House
- 9/24 – Cleveland, Little Rose
- 9/25 – Cincinnati, Northside Tavern
- 9/26 – Knoxville, Pilot Light
- 9/27 – Atlanta, Innerspace
- 9/28 – Chattanooga, JJ’s Bohemia
- 9/30 – San Antonio, Paper Tiger
- 10/1 – Dallas, Double Wide Bar
- 10/2 – El Paso, Rosewood
- 10/3 – Tucson, Groundworks
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