Now its reward time
Strangled by my thighs
Deep into the light
Another perfect night
As the September 12th release of their new album IKONA looms ahead, Greek synth duo Paradox Obscur have unleashed one of their most unsettling transmissions: Vulgar Sequence. It is a track that throbs with venomous intent, pulling its heartbeat from the grooves of ‘90s electro-techno and its soul from the bowels of Hades. A low-slung bassline drives forward, while synths coil and strike with serpentine precision. Hovering above it all are the commanding, unmistakable vocals of Kriistal Ann: urgent, unflinching.
Vulgar Sequence is the third single from IKONA, an album that promises to be fearless and forward-thinking. Paradox Obscur have long thrived in the liminal space between genres, merging darkwave, EBM, and synth-driven experimentation into something unmistakably their own. Here, they sharpen that instinct, leaning into improvisation and fluid identity, rejecting any hint of rigidity. Vulgar Sequence offers a warning and a challenge. It is a reminder that power can seduce, control can disguise itself as love, and freedom is something wrestled from within.
Beneath the immediacy of the rhythm lies a psychological undercurrent. Vulgar Sequence dissects the toxic architecture of addiction and domination, exploring the warped dynamics of manipulation and idol worship. The song spirals through cycles of torment and control, where intimacy and violence blur into a dangerous embrace. Within its layers, ecstasy and agony collapse into one another, a distorted mirror of relationships where freedom is trapped in a gilded cage.
As the duo themselves explain: “We need to cultivate a healthy ego and remain aware. Knowledge builds an impenetrable personality, one that is difficult to manipulate. Freedom is the supreme right, but it must be won from within.”
The accompanying video, directed by Italian filmmaker Simone Pellegrini, translates that psychological turbulence into an unsettling vision. Shot in a single claustrophobic room (a stark metaphor for the prison of the mind) the film plays with fractured imagery, broken screens, and jagged edits that heighten a sense of disorientation. At its center, performer and choreographer Serra Kösebay embodies the long-suffering subject through raw physical improvisation. Every contortion, every violent shake of her body, feels like an attempt to break free, only to be pulled back into the spiral. It is a performance that cuts through with both terror and resolve, making the metaphor painfully flesh-bound.
Watch the video for “Vulgar Sequence” below:
Paradox Obscur is celebrated for their authentic, analogue-driven sound. Eschewing computers and digital plugins, they create all of their music in real time using hardware synthesizers and drum machines, delivering a raw and immersive listening experience. While rooted in the spirit of ’80s-’90s underground music, their unique blend of haunting melodies, driving rhythms, and cinematic atmosphere appeals to a wide range of listeners, regardless of genre preference.
Listen to Vulgar Sequence below and pre-order IKONA here.
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