What is the purpose of existence? The inevitability of aging? The contrast of youthful aspirations with the harsh reality of time’s passage?
Portland-based act Dancing Plague, a solo project of musician Conor Knowles, has been a steady presence in the dark/cold electronic music scene, releasing a constant flow of independent releases rich in EBM, goth, industrial, and darkwave influences.
With the new single from their fifth studio album Elogium, Dancing Plague pulls out all the tricks with this showstopping darkwave track, Fading Forms.
Knowles masterfully blends aggressive electronic waves with pop sensibilities and a catchy hook, infusing his music with poignant lyrics that delve into the depths of uncertainty and confusion in life, love, and dreams. The song encapsulates a deep sense of loss and hurt: it artfully portrays the struggles of clinging to a dwindling relationship amidst the suffocating feelings of being suppressed and misunderstood, and the inexorable fading of memories and connections. This intertwining of longing, regret, and the painful acceptance of change and loss is all set against a backdrop of throbbing basslines, rave-inspired synths, and powerful drum beats.
Knowles’ emotive baritone voice adds a layer of melancholy, painting a vivid picture of time’s slow erosion and the accompanying sense of personal fading. His words cascade over a landscape of pulsating 80s synths and robust drum machine rhythms, creating a nostalgic yet refreshingly modern sound. We hear nods to Depeche Mode, Ministry, Cold Cave and Kontravoid in their disturbingly beautiful sound.
Directed, filmed, and edited by C.W. Carter, the video unfolds as an eerie, Lynchian vignette that casts a nightmarish shadow over tinsel curtains. Its unsettling ambiance is likely to linger in your mind, subtly altering your perception of these festive decorations for a lifetime.
Watch the video below:
Elogium is out on the 22nd of March via Avant! Records. The album will be available on yellow-orange vinyl, limited to a pressing of 250, and CDs with a limited printing of 200.
Pre-order and pre-save here.
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