Subliminal influence is a shadowy trick, slipping past the front door of your mind while you’re busy at the back. It’s the kind of subtle push that makes you think you’ve made a choice- but really, the decision was made for you before you even knew it. And now, with AI sniffing around the edges of self-awareness, the stakes are much higher. Machines that know too much are like crooks who’ve learned the safe combination. Once they get inside, who’s to say they won’t change the rules of the game? The real danger isn’t in what they know…but in what they make you forget.
Steilacoom slinks out of San Francisco with their new single Subliminal Soundtrack (out now via Vibraphone Records), a post-punk number as sharp as broken glass and just as dangerous. Steilacoom’s got the grit and guts to stand out in a city that knows a thing or two about gloom. Subliminal Soundtrack is modern, it’s moody, and it hits like a hammer. With nods to Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, and Interpol, frontman Dave Han’s baritone growls like thunder over Rob Hanson’s hypnotic synths and Daniel Ward’s reverb-soaked guitar lines. Their music cuts deep, marrying brooding lyrics with a wall of shimmering, atmospheric noise. This is the band’s first release since their 2023 EP Teatro Luminoso.
“Subliminal Soundtrack is a cautionary reminder about subliminal influence and the dangers of AI self-awareness,” says Dave Han.
“Dave and Rob already had a solid backbone to the song when I first heard it,” adds Daniel Ward. I wanted to put down guitar that did their work justice and channeled the raw, visceral energy of the guitarists I love—like Daniel Ash and Wayne Hussey. The results speak for themselves. This is one of our best songs to date and I’m so glad we got to work with director Kristin Coffer and videographer Bailey Kobelin to make a great video for the tune.”
Coffer shot the band on a dimly lit stage, draped in flickering Op-Art and glitchy static that buzzed like the background hum of a broken radio. It’s the kind of tech-trickery that feels like it’s eating away at the edges of your mind. But through the flicker and fuzz, the band’s camaraderie cuts through clean, with Han’s hypnotic presence holding court like a boxer in the ring—steady, strong, and daring you to blink first. It’s raw, real, and just glitchy enough to make you wonder if the machine might be thinking too hard.
Watch the video for “Subliminal Soundtrack” below:
“This song and this video really mark the next stage of this project and tease what we have in store for the future,” adds Rob Hanson. When Dave and I started Steilacoom, it was an intentional exercise in austerity—textures and minimalist electronics. With Subliminal Soundtrack, we’ve not only expanded our lineup with Daniel Ward on guitar, but we’re challenging ourselves to explore new sounds and put a sharper emphasis on songwriting and production.”
Listen to Subliminal Soundtrack below and order the single here.
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