Photo credit Burcu Karademir @karademirburcu
Stark shadows cast over jagged sets, faces contorted in anguish and ecstasy—the world of German Expressionist cinema birthed a visual lexicon that continues to ripple through pop culture today. Films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and The Man Who Laughs, both immortalized by the haunting performances of Conrad Veidt, shattered conventional storytelling with their distorted realities and psychological depth. Their influence spans decades: a still from Caligari even graces the back cover of Bauhaus’ iconic single Bela Lugosi’s Dead, and the film’s nightmarish aesthetic laid the groundwork for Tim Burton’s unmistakable style. Meanwhile, Veidt’s unsettling grin in The Man Who Laughs directly inspired the creation of one of pop culture’s most infamous villains—The Joker—whose chilling smile has terrorized Gotham City for generations. More than just changing popular culture forever, these masterpieces shaped a language of shadows that speaks to the darkest corners of the human psyche.
That same language of shadows is spoken fluently by She Past Away, one of the premier bands in today’s flourishing dark-wave scene. The Turkish duo fuses the essence of ’80s post-punk guitar riffs with tenebrous synths and stark, haunting lyrics, crafting music that, like those early films, grapples with anxiety, nihilism, and the human condition’s murkier waters. Their music doesn’t just tug at the nerves—it claws deep, dredging up an intimate kind of darkness, yet paradoxically universal, unafraid to confront taboos while diving headlong into the shadows much like the expressionist films that inspired them.
After a stretch of silence, the haunting strains of their new single İnziva herald a formidable return, stirring anticipation and teasing a new chapter in their evolving narrative. The band’s hiatus wasn’t one of inactivity; instead, it was a period of intense global touring that refined their live show’s brooding energy, all of which has seeped into this new release. The title İnziva, meaning “seclusion” or “retreat”, speaks volumes, hinting at both a withdrawal and a brewing storm.
The brilliant new video for the Turkish-crooned İnziva is a masterpiece of German Expressionism draped in desolation and gloom. The short film, brought to life by Muted Widows, is directed by Nedda Afsari and Michael E. Linn and produced by Michael Zumaya. It moves with a grim rhythm, light, and darkness locked in a desperate dance, pulling you down into its twisted maze. At the center, a fragile figure known as The Wanderer (Brooks Ginnan) clutches a glowing egg—something abstract, something with no clear meaning, but bearing the weight of existence itself. His footsteps echo through warped corridors and slanted walls, a labyrinth spun from fevered dreams and old-world architecture.
Along this harrowing path, he meets spectral figures, each one a distorted mirror of humanity’s worst traits: greed, lust, avarice, plague. A woman with eyes like black pools caught in a web; a man with a grin stretched too far; faceless beings peering through windows, a corrupt tycoon in his sharp suit. Each step draws him deeper, the maze tightening, shadows stretching long. His fixation grips harder, until it becomes clear—there’s no escape. The walls press in, the light turns harsh, and the maze devours him whole—an endless pursuit of emptiness where emptiness reigns.
“The inspirations behind this video are very obviously from silent films of the 1920s,” says the Muted Widows team. “Thematically and aesthetically that felt natural when we were first approached by She Past Away with the song Inziva, but what was most important to us was exploring the incredible and expressive performances seen in those early days of cinema. Bringing together a small group of close friends and collaborators, each with unique talents and personalities and who all share an understanding of our process allowed for a dynamic energy to form creating a piece of work that feels simultaneously classic and contemporary.”
Familiar frames flicker from classics like The Spider’s Web, The Wicker Man, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, Nosferatu, Pandora’s Box, Doctor Strangelove, Metropolis, and The Man Who Laughed. There are sly winks to early 20th-century legends—Josephine Baker’s signature coiffure and décolletage; Fritz Lang’s vision, Louise Brooks’s seductive moves, Theda Bara’s vamp allure, and the lethal charm of real-life femme fatale Mata Hari.
Each nod, a tribute to a bygone era of bold artistry and haunting elegance, carries echoes of an age when cinema dared to stare into the abyss and find beauty.
Watch the video for Inziva below:
She Past Away took root in 2006 when Volkan began penning songs without a name to call the project. By 2009, the band took form, and their debut EP Kasvetli Kutlama dropped in 2010, paving their path with its unique gloom. The first album, Belirdi Gece (2012), caught ears with its deep, brooding tone. They followed up with their landmark album Narin Yalnizlik (2015). By 2019, Disko Anksiyete emerged—more dance-driven, yet still carrying that eerie undertone. Marking a decade of their existence, the band released X in 2020, offering fans reimagined takes on their tracks from a slew of artists.
The band will be touring across Europe, China, and Turkey in November 2024 and throughout 2025. Dates below:
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She Past Away Photo credit Burcu Karademir
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