Los Angeles project Stranger Dreams invokes the beautiful dark sounds of post-punk, deathrock, and darkwave in their their single “Defiant”, a track featured on their latest album titled “After the raven has died for the dove”
Founded in 2008 by celebrated underground dark electronic music producer Karloz.M, as a means for aural experimentation and expression through the use of guitars, poetry, and abstract electronics. Stranger Dreams soon went on hiatus after the release of the project’s first EP. later that same year.
In 2018 Stranger Dreams was reactivated after collaboration discussions with Los Angeles guitarist Seamus Simpson proved mutually fruitful. Seamus & Karloz quickly arrived at the notion of combining their mutual musical interests, backgrounds, and varied influences from their youth such as Joy Division, Nick Cave, Tones On Tail, Sisters Of Mercy, Southern Death Cult, The Swans, Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Sonic Youth, New Order, and early 80’s deathrock and post-punk music.
Recording for the album “After the raven has died for the dove” began in the fall of 2018 in Hollywood, California, and continued through the early demo sessions until production had to be postponed due to the 2020 Covid Pandemic and subsequent shutdowns. At that time some recordings were done separately by Seamus & Karloz as demos and sketches, with the intent of re-recording them through completion of the album around the early fall of 2021. Tragically on Friday, June 25th, 2021, guitarist Seamus Simpson died suddenly from heart complications, less than 72 hours after hearing and approving new versions of songs the pair had worked on before the shutdown.
What followed was a humble attempt by Karloz, the remaining member of the project, along with fellow musician Amoreena Stout to piece together the ideas, concepts, and style of his friend and co-writer. Sorting through random recordings and sketches, searching for a way to bring forth the unique and talented voice and sound of his departed friend and collaborator. Both the title and artwork for the album, were decided on before Seamus’s passing, and is simply an eerie coincidence, and yet, it now stands as both a dedication and a monument, to Seamus Simpson’s memory, his invaluable gift and unwavering love of music.
The song “Defiant” is a dark and haunting cinematic journey with tenebrous vocals that bellow over icy guitars and menacing drums. This perfectly sets the atmosphere for a shadowy walk through the sordid streets of Hollywood guided by Karloz M’s sunglass-veiled visage.
Watch the video for “Defiant” below:
After The Raven Has Died For The Dove will be released by the acclaimed French label Unknown Pleasures Records in conjunction with the American Crunch Pod music label on March 28th, 2022.
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