Counteroffensive of my spotless brain
Now I will believe like a geranium in the rain.
My mask is full of colors, but my face is black
When someone betrays me, it’s like an iced stab in my back.
In the heart of the Kakarum Desert, a place exists that seems as if it’s been ripped straight from the lore of old – Darvaza, aptly named after the Persian term for the ‘door of hell.’ An enigmatic, fiery chasm, this real-life inferno was birthed from the cataclysmic collapse of underground tunnels, now perpetually aflame with natural gas. Whispers from locals speak of chilling sounds emanating from its depths, often likened to the agonized wails of trapped demons, bound to the very fire that consumes them.
Embracing the darkness and eerie folklore, European quartet Darvaza Wave (vocalist Luca, guitarist Saverio, synth player Claudio and drummer Riccardo) takes inspiration from its namesake, believing the haunting echoes of Darvaza fuels the sound of their new single, “Berlin’s Hope.” With this song, the band, hailing from Italy, Denmark and Finland, weaves a story of youthful rebellion that gets shattered in the late teenage years. Rebels, certainly, desire revolution against an uncomprehending system. However, they recognize the real battle lies within.
Berlin’s Hope “was written more than ten years ago, when we were around 20,” the band muses.
“The song was left there, waiting for the right moment to be released, being perfected and evolving with our age. Thus, starting from our more punk age, it matured and embraced all the dark, new wave, and gothic elements of us becoming adults. It is the story of rebellious people wanting to start the revolution, struggling against a system that does not understand them. But then realizing the struggle is more with their mind than with the system itself. There is an insight to be gained that you actually have to face your inner demons and fears. These demons and fears can cause a person your age to escape reality through self-vandalism and abuse of drugs, something we have always been strongly against. It is a mental rebirth, from the fights outside of your body of through punk culture, to the fights inside your body of the post-punk culture. Thinking about our past, our being punk, our thoughts go to this friend who is not with us anymore.”
“Berlin’s Hope” resonates with the haunting shades of gothic rock and the nostalgic vibes of new wave; the atmosphere characterized by martial rhythms of drums and bass, layered with swirling keyboards, textured guitar effects, and avant-garde electronic flourishes. This strikes with raw immediacy as we hear shades of The Chameleons, Type O Negative, Depeche Mode, and The Cure echoed in their sound.
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Formed in 2015 as ‘Darvaza’, Darvaza Wave’s debut EP, “Truth,” dropped in 2018. Their single “Life is Unfair” featured a video produced by Envyda. Their 2020 track “Bastion” was paired with an award-winning, fan-made video showcasing global pandemic solitude. The same year, “Sleep Like My Soul” told of an astronaut’s last dance in space, visualized by artist Jack Malombra.
In 2021, they released “The World (of the Elder Things),” confronting inner fears, with a video inspired by Patrick Fogli’s novel and created by Envyda and ExFormat Movie using “Unreal Engine.” Their 2022 EP, “Bastion Knights,” in collaboration with L.A.’s Crunchpod, traverses Nordic battles and Greek revelations, featuring a “Bastion” remix by STRANGER DREAMS & MNFCTR.
In a nod to The Chameleons, Darvaza Wave joined “Script of the 40th Bridge”, an official Italian tribute marking the 40th anniversary of the seminal album Script of the Bridge. In 2018, they clinched the Arezzo Wave Award for the best band in their region. Fast forward to 2022, and they stood out as one of the top 16 acts from a competitive field of 191 bands in the Euregiorock contest.
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