Sydney Ethereal Wave Project dusk2dawn Make Their Debut with “Heaven Is Only In Hell”

Dying on the vine
Speeding in the night
Fire in your eyes
Fire in your mind

In a world awash with the humdrum, Sydney’s dusk2dawn springs forth from the creative wells of Finn Parker (Eternal Dust) and Jack Mannix (Circle Pit, DERO Arcade). They’ve summoned a devilishly and divine debut single: “Heaven Is Only In Hell.”

“Heaven Is Only In Hell” is a poignant contradiction in terms, yet yields quite brilliant results from a demo recorded at Finn’s home in King’s Cross, Sydney, a couple of months ago. It’s a languid ballad, dripping in the melancholy of downer pop, painting tales of woe, a dash of masochism, the shadows of loss, and an overwhelming sense of grief that feels almost… possessive. Yet, amidst the gray, there emerges a phoenix-like rebirth in turning anguish into art.

The track saunters in with the heavy boots of goth, whispering secrets of the occult while dancing, rather wistfully, with dream pop’s daydreams. It flirts shamelessly with witch house’s shadowy charisma and doesn’t shy from the bare-knuckled intensity of industrial. Add to this bewitching concoction a shimmer of new age and the ghostly sighs of shoegaze. Listening, the evocative strains of Salem and Depeche Mode come to mind. A smidgen of audacity à la Suicide, a touch of Spacemen 3’s atmospherics, and to top it all off, a hint of the atmospheric dread of John Carpenter and Angelo Badalamenti.

The hauntingly evocative “Heaven Is Only In Hell” carries an unmistakable undertone of longing and nostalgia in its lyrics. This sentiment for regression is paired with a desire to escape or find an exit, giving it a tinge of melancholy and desperation. An overarching theme of transformation, or perhaps even a foreboding sense of doom, weaves through the echoing words.

The lyric video is a bizarre found footage clip of an exotic dancer entertaining the indifferent elderly at a Freemason’s gathering. A glimpse at the futility of it all? With all that great power comes great naps…perhaps.

Watch below:

dusk2dawn began as Finn’s solitary pursuit in 2022 — a venture steeped in synths and inspirations, fueled by a tour he masterminded with his ensemble, Eternal Dust, alongside Sydney’s witch house/goth aficionados, Gift Exchange. These soon-to-be DERO Arcade comrades stirred something in Finn, leading him to rope in Jack as the voice and wordsmith for the project. Having wandered the labyrinth of Sydney’s music scene since their reckless teen years, these two are no strangers to each other’s artistry. Now, these daring souls are conjuring their inaugural release for DERO Arcade, and to keep things even more interesting, they’re tiptoeing into the world of film.

Find the track on Bandcamp below:

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