Santa Cruz-based electronic band Vandal Moon is slated to release Wild Insane on Friday, April 20th via Starfield Music. We’re pleased to offer an exclusive first listen of the full album just a few days before its release.
Vandal Moon was created by multi-instrumentalist Blake Voss in 2012 as a solo outlet and has since evolved into a two-piece lineup with the addition of Jeremy Einsiedler, who handles much of the drum programming. The project aims to combine thick, syrupy electronics with guitar-driven post-punk, a combination that always satisfies. It’s hard not to draw immediate comparisons to modern Gary Numan, 90s Depeche Mode, and both the cold mystique of Ladytron and the hedonistic tendencies of IAMX, but what sets the project apart is the ample use of reverb-laden guitar and deep bass grooves, adding a bit of post-punk sensibility to an otherwise electronic palate.
Wild Insane, by design, is drenched in a delicious dancefloor aesthetic. As such, most of the album’s eight tracks would fit in perfectly at any self-respecting club, surrounded in a swirl of fog and flashing lights. The production, handled by synthwave maestro Shawn Ward (aka FM Attack), is exquisite. Each track goes straight for the throat, churning with infectious passion and energy.
The album also features a handful of guest performances, including vocals by Nicollette Vaughn (aka Nico) on the infectious “Boy Drinks Girl” and numerous contributions from fellow synthpop band vvwervvolf on “The Bomb.” Modern new romantic hero Logan Sky also contributes to the album’s powerful closing track “The Light,” which was co-written with Einsiedler. Meanwhile, opening track “Baby Sounds” sets the tone for the record’s club-centric aesthetic, which both “Computer Love” and the title track continue. Another unexpected highlight is “Nevermore,” an instrumental track which opens with the same percussive swagger as Suede’s “The Drowners,” and features thick bass and loud, uncompromising shoegaze textures.
As previously mentioned, the album will be released this Friday, April 20th through all digital and streaming platforms, but pre-orders are live now via Bandcamp. Check out the album cover and tracklisting below:
Vandall Moon- Wild Insane
1. Baby Sounds
2. Computer Love
3. Wild Insane
4. The Bomb (feat. vverevvolf)
5. Boy Drinks Girl (feat. Nicolette Vaughn)
6. Nevermore
7. Crying On The Dance Floor
8. The Light (feat. Logan Sky)
Photo by Don Alderon.
