STAHV’s latest album, Sentiens Eklektikos, is a cosmic collision of new-wave sci-fi imagination and prog rock ambition, simmered in the strange brew of Solomon Arye Rosenschein’s mind. The question it poses:“What if an android tripped the light fantastic on acid?”
In the 1980s, Rosenschein’s father was neck-deep in AI Robotics at Stanford Research Institute. On the surface, it sure sounds like the setup for the campy cult sitcom Small Wonder, but instead, the elder Rosenschein’s pioneering work planted the seed for Sentiens Eklektikos. This album is a mind-bending journey through synthetic souls and digital dreams, all filtered through the wild lens of STAHV’s songwriting prowess.
“I remember visiting him at work one day and seeing a robot named Flakey wandering around offering people bagels,” Rosenschein reminisces. “It had a synthesized voice and emphasized words in a very charming way—it couldn’t quite pronounce the ‘g’ in bagel.”
The single Lunar Haze is a prog rock masterpiece, but is also the kind of old school new wave that has more in common with the sound of Suede, David Bowie, and Roxy Music than, say…Styx. Songs sung to the moon often dip into its deep well of mystery, solitude, and silver-toned allure. The moon has always been a symbol of longing—a beauty just out of reach. Its quiet vigil, casting a pale light over a dark world, becomes the perfect metaphor for the romantic lover; the divine feminine, and the yearning soul alike, forever chasing something that slips through their fingers, like moonbeams in the night. For STAHV, it’s a love letter to our beloved satellite.
“The moon is my trusted celestial companion,” says Rosenschein. “I feel at home and protected when I see it and I panic when it’s out of view. I wanted to write a lunar ode to add to the canon of songs like New Moon on Monday and The Killing Moon. At heart, Lunar Haze is a song of awe and appreciation.”
Listen to “Lunar Haze” below:
In 2017, Seattle-based artist STAHV (Solomon Arye Rosenschein) moved into new territory: vocal-driven goth rock bangers drawing on Rosenschein’s love of ’80s aesthetics, synth-pop, and new wave.
STAHV has shared stages with TUNIC, Vision Video, ACTORS, TRAITRS, and Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel. Employing vocals for the first time live gave the set a jolt of inspiration, convincing Rosenschein it was time to release originals in this vein.
Rosenschein’s career shifts from power pop to Americana. Twice tapped for the Grammy shortlist, he’s crisscrossed the US, UK, and Canada, sharing stages with heavyweights like Chris Shiflett and Silversun Pickups. His tunes have slithered into the soundtracks of cult favorites like Veronica Mars and Shameless, leaving an indelible mark on the silver screen.
Sentiens Eklektikos is a sharp-edged exploration of love, humanity, and free will, set against the backdrop of a dystopian future that stretches the limits of consciousness. Co-produced with John Getze of Ako-Lite, the album thrusts Rosenschein’s songwriting into the spotlight, backed by Stuart Dace’s saxophone sizzle and David Benson’s gravelly guest vocals.
With a flair for the futuristic and a nod to the past, STAHV blends sci-fi with swagger, creating something that’s both familiar and entirely alien. A love letter to the weird and the wired, Sentiens Eklektikos is a trip worth taking.
Follow STAHV:
Or via: