Fusing their love of noise with DIY electronics, Softswitch, a trio from Winnipeg, announces a single release: “Memoriam,” off their full EP due out on May 5th, 2023.
The band describes the single as a “nihilist agenda in tune with bleak ‘90s post-punk.” Recorded by Rob/Riley Hill and Drew Riekman, mixed by Jace Lasek and mastered by John Davis, Softswitch’s sound surges forward into the chaos of the 21st century while remaining tethered to a time of sonic dissonance and high-wire performances in empty warehouses.
“Memoriam” brings to mind a time when music’s subversive force challenged the status quo. The song emits a gritty, industrial atmosphere, reverberating; menacing with a surreal and edgy ambiance. We feel the energies of Sonic Youth, Fugazi, and The Fall in the song’s unique blend of aggression and vulnerability. “Memoriam” feels like a cautiously cathartic outlet for the pent-up frustration and emotion that comes with growing up in a society that feels increasingly disconnected and superficial.
A mysterious monochromatic film by Eddie Diaz and Softswitch drummer Suzy Keller accompanies “Memoriam”.
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