Los Angeles darkwave duo Male Tears have unleashed a new, “unapologetically goth” video for the hypnotic single “I Expire” via Avant! Records. This banger comes off their third LP, Krypt; and with it, the band, consisting of vocalist James Edward and synthesist Frank Shark, push everything over the edge; blending elements of darkwave, goth rock, EBM and futurepop into a sound they call ‘Dark Rave.’
Pounding through an industrial-tinged beat and detached lyrics, this anthemic Blade Runner tribute is tailor-made for the dance floor. Male Tears celebrates life’s most bizarre shades, driven by a healthy dose of dark humour. The Tapeworm Spaghetti-directed video for “I Expire” embodies this with a straightforward VHS-style performance video; charmingly amateurish, as if watching a late-night public access channel that got thwarted by a pair of cannibal ghouls.
Watch the video for “I Expire” below:
Male Tears emphasizes the most glamourous yet gruesome aspects of the gamut of gothic subculture. Their primary inspirations include Soft Cell, Virgin Prunes, Depeche Mode, Dead or Alive, and VNV Nation; the track is right at home in the world of late-1980s goth clubs, strobe lights and bacchanalian delights included. With Krypt, Male Tears draw inspiration from the California goth tradition (45 Grave, Christian Death), the Canadian post-industrial brood (Skinny Puppy, FLA), as well as UK synthpop (Depeche Mode, The Human League). The ‘bombastic outcome’ of what the band terms ‘New Romantic Body Music’ was mastered by Maurizio Baggio of La Distilleria.
From an early age, James Edward fostered a love for 80’s electronic pop music, due to his father being a predominant DJ in the LA nightclub scene. Over the years this love grew, until he formed Male Tears as an artistic outlet in 2020. Based in Los Angeles, Edward describes Male Tears as “the result of a goth’s love affair with 1980’s new wave” and a pop experiment flirting with themes of morbidity, sexuality, and self-destruction.
Krypt is out on the 28th of April 2023 on black vinyl LP (limited to 400), marbled purple vinyl LP (limited to 100), 4-panel digipak CD (limited to 250), and digital.
Pre-order the album here.
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