In the four years that have gone by, something cold, alien and deadly has been frantically cutting through the fabric of reality.

As the night grows ever darker a brutal, systematic rhythm can be heard coming from a distance.
A sound of metallic heels colliding against black basalt stones, the hissing of a blade gleaming wildly through the shadows, a low, regular rumble that amplifies the vast darkness that surrounds us.

By popular demand, the Spotify version of the album also includes a mesmerizing cover of Type O’ Negative’s ‘Blood & Fire’ as a bonus track. Sit back, relax and let the darkness come a little closer, Jessie Frye’s Night of the Dark Prince will send shiver down your spines and haunt your mind for days on end.

Night of the Dark Prince EP by Jessie Frye
Jessie Frye’s ‘Night of the Dark Prince’ is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify

Dreamhour ‘Own tonight’ is out now via Bandcamp and Spotify

10. Occams Laser – Halls of the Damned

9. Starfarer – Highrider

8. Burial Grid – Caput Mortuum

7. Acryl Madness – Kill _Em All

6. Microchip terror – Circuitry of Doom

5. Hollywood burns – Abomination from Planet X

4. Perturbator – Death of the Soul

3. Sierra X Matteo Tura – Inner Speech

2. Abstract Void – Forward to the Past

1. Gost – Bound by the Horror

9. John Mint – Modern Appeal

8. Com Truise – Arwarw

7. Kavinsky ft. Cautious Clay – Renegade

6. Arcade High – Glow

5. Phaserland ft.Glitbiter – Space Glide

4. Cinnamon Chasers – Lightchaser

3. Niky Nine ft.6S9– Warr

2. Starcadian – Neonhead

1. Waveshaper – The Phantom Machine

10. Dynatron – Origins

9. Hollywood Burns – Saturday Night Screamer

8. Eagle Eyed Tiger – Untether, Unravel

7. Starcadian – Culture

6. Waveshaper – Client

5. Gost – A fleeting Whisper

4. Kavinsky – Renegade

3. Quixotic – Highway violence

2. Sierra – All about love

1. Waveshaper – The Phantom Machine

Honorable Mentions

• Perturbator – Death of the Soul

• Danger – Haven Virtual concert

• LAU – True

So rejoice and wait no further, fellow humanoid! Gear up on headphones and get your fix of cybernetic synth waves.

DEADLIFE ‘God in the Machine’ is out now via FiXt Neon on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms.

Just Drive (Part 2) is available now for digital download as well as on Vinyl, Cassette, Mini Disc and CD via NRW Records.

TOP PICKS

Street Cleaner – EDGE

Bandcamp 

Microchip Terror – Illegal Experiments II

Bandcamp

WOLFCLUB – Just Drive (Part 1)

Bandcamp

Chiasm – Missed the Noise

Bandcamp

Ultrakiller – Death Trap

Bandcamp

Baldocaster – Cult of Saturn

Bandcamp

Castroe – Fall into You

Bandcamp

Galaxy 80 – Visions

Bandcamp

Siamese Youth – Echoes of Tomorrow

Bandcamp

Frank Redux – Memory Lane

Bandcamp

Honorable Mentions & Singles

Literature – Stoa

Bandcamp

Rupert Lally – Maniac’s Almanac

Bandcamp

Cyberoptics – Resurgence

Bandcamp

Austin Archer – Now That’s What I Call a Bunch of Austin Archer’s TikTok Songs Compiled Into an Album Vol​.​1

Bandcamp

Ev.exi & Rhodes Rodosu – Stellae / Infinitus

Bandcamp

Mecha Maiko – Kitchen Floor

Bandcamp

LukHash – Dying Breath

Bandcamp

Maxthor – Into the Light

Bandcamp

3FORCE – Alpha Prophecy

Bandcamp

Korine – Sunshine

Bandcamp

The Playlist

Just Drive (ft. Summer Haze)

WOLFCLUB’s first track serenades us into the getaway car of long-lost love with electric guitars and saxophone. Dreamy vocals encourage our flight response to “Just Drive” into the drum kick of the deeply nostalgic energy of our teenage summers of yesteryear. The way the lyrics carry bittersweet memories of those angsty runaway vibes sends chills up my spine! My late-night drives needed a boost of upbeat, poppy tracks to sing aloud to – and this track curbs that craving to roll the windows down, and jam without a care.

A Sea of Stars (ft. Dora Pereli)
You know when you read lyrics to a song you love, and it reaches too close to what you’re been feeling all along? This is the queen of heartbreak albums, with “A Sea of Stars” at number two on the album list, it’s no wonder why these emotions brew hot as I listen carefully to Dora wistfully and woefully sing into the night sky. Sailing away with a lover, wishing those moments could last a while longer. The melody adorns the melancholy tone of the lyrics in a deceptively light and happy rhythm. It’s difficult to walk away from such a beautiful song – but we have so many more to explore together.

Fever Dream (ft. Dora Pereli)
I find myself carried off the whimsical beat of drums, bass, and that warm guitar encloses in on the impersonated feeling of welcome, only to be whisked away by resonating vocals. Chasing the love we thought we had – who can’t relate to that feeling? As a writer, I admittedly get lost in the vocals of the song, and the story being told in each track. This track gives me “forgotten on prom night” vibes; tear-soaked tulle dresses and mature drinks at a bonfire. I love this inescapable trap of dismal desires that W O L F C L U B has created. Underlying this feeling of my heart being torn in two, I keep listening and contextualizing for the sake of fans everywhere feeling, singing, and dancing along.

Shoulder Blades (ft. Jaki Nelson)
There’s nowhere to run away from the intoxicating vocals of Jaki Nelson, and you won’t want to either. This retro dive into forlorn backseat breakup ballads is a deep-seeded memory we willingly uncover. The chorus churns the tension by way of electric guitar, and dances along the fingertips striking the heavy billow of the bass. The edge of that “forest where it all began” I know all too well. Jaki’s wail alone is gut-wrenching, and I swear I can feel exactly what she feels. The reverberation of her coos and the electronic echo wraps each gasp in color with chords. I don’t want to hide anymore either, Jaki.

One Last Night
Not many feelings are as powerful as the drum kick combination that permeates the start of this track. The same goes for the all-encompassing saxophone in every which way it is played, especially with the overwhelming emotion that sustains the melody. I know all too well the sting of time passing by before saying Goodbye to someone you don’t want to see go. If there were one last night where it was possible to get a lost love back and make it last, would you take the chance? Would the circumstance and consequences outweigh the outcome? There’s only one way to find out – but perhaps listen to this track first before you run out the door.

Promise (feat. Jaki Nelson)
The trailing arpeggiator dancing along the intro riles suspenseful excitement from within. Once Jaki belts out the proclamation of asking you to stay – who can say no? It’s not enough to hear these tracks, it’s vital to face the feelings that erupt. False promises, apologies, and damn that standalone moment of the percussion gets me every time! I’m swept into a deluge of delight every time we loop back to the chorus. Namelessly shameless love is only the cusp of meaning behind this song.

Who’s Gonna Be There(feat. Jaki Nelson)
The playful start is a loop of Jaki’s voice alongside the synth, and it’s the perfect introduction to the aftermath of the track we just listened to. Rewind the reminiscent memories, and fast forward to the part where our hearts fix themselves – the worst part is missing someone and living your life without them. “Who’s Gonna Be There” perfectly encapsulates those emotions, bottles them up, and offers them to you as we face the music.

Nostalgia
I love that this track welcomes alternating gender roles – because we see both sides to the untold story between Boy and Girl. Boy meets Girl, Girl falls in love – Boy doesn’t want to go. They part ways. It’s so uncommon to see in music these days without some stereotypical agenda – and this is an unraveling of emotions from one to the next. You ever have circumstances you can’t change and you wish you could change it for the right person? They know better, most of the time. Letting go or staying by their side is the hardest lesson to learn. But the “Nostalgia” helps us cope.

Serenity (Jaki Nelson)
Softened guitar strumming along to the electric echo of the synth is all we ever wanted – and Jaki’s vocals open it up into a torrential downpour of the heartbreak theme that we’ve now grown accustomed to. Personally, this becomes a growing ache from inside, and the hole inside of MY heart is growing bigger as I encourage myself to absorb this track entirely. I love the reverberation, the echoes, the ethereal electronic details intertwined in the lyrics, and it pulls at these heartstrings with ferocious effort.

Higher (feat. Jaki Nelson)
Ah yes, the warm guitar before the painful memories replay. I’m shutting my defense mechanisms out, allowing the music to rush over me, and that arpeggio is thumping as quickly as my heart, and there’s nothing left to do but stare down the erupting emotions head-on. I’m lost in the waves and embracing it. So, here we go. “Higher” speaks to me on multiple levels, as a girl, and as a woman. There’s much to be said about those sweet nothings as their murmured in your ear, and eventually, there’s a bittersweetness to it. It’s all here, loneliness, unkept promises, and the result of the unresolved. The closure resides somewhere between the clash of the cymbals and the descending tempo as we move closer to the finale.

Oceans
The plot thickens when we realize the distance between these star-crossed lovers. The voice of the W O L F C L U B prince returns, and we’re learning more about what truth remains in focus. The intoxication of the synth, the powerful bridges and the quietness of the solo vocals make this track simply heaven-sent. I’m caught in the undertow of unrequited love, the heartfelt hang-ups, the distance isn’t just heard; it’s understood.

Famous
The great getaway, the track that finished us off and rounds up the theme, is even better than I could have imagined. It’s a profound calling out of manifesting that fame that W O L F C L U B strives to achieve. I’m feeling enthralled by the swiftness of the beat, the arpeggio again lighting up the senses, and of course, vocals to steal the show. I really love this highlight of an ending, and it’s a chance to shake off the emotional rollercoaster that is this album, as much as I adore unpacking new and old wounds of the heart.

The destination has been reached for Just Drive Pt. 1, and honestly, I’ve never felt more understood. This album split me apart in ways I never realized I could. W O L F C L U B has always been able to find the magic behind sadness, love, and so much more outside and in between. I love an album that beckons me to dig deep to my core – and that it did. I am woefully pleased, and my weaknesses are on my sleeve, and after days of listening, I’m looking forward to W O L F C L U B’s next release.

What can you tell us about the concept behind this new chapter for WOLFCLUB?

We’ve always tried to make cinematic sounding music, songs that you can imagine playing in the scenes of a movie. For this record, we have leant further into that concept and written it as if it were some soundtrack to an imagined or lost film. I was really interested in blending our favourite genres together to try and experiment with our sound more, mashing synthwave and indie rock with our usual melodic vocal lines.

What does Just Drive Pt.1 represent musically within the context of your discography so far?

The new records overall sound is still us but a little bit further down the road. I’ve often written songs on the guitar and then transposed the notes, chords, melody lines into the computer onto synthesizers. This time we decided to leave a lot of those guitar lines in to add a different feel and texture, so that they intermingle with the usual synth and analogue bass sounds we use. We’ve collaborated with some amazing new vocalists as well as some of our past favourites.

Driving and cars have been somewhat of a staple theme in your discography. From your point of view, what is it about the idea of driving that lends itself so well to the eighties retrowave mood?

It’s the idea of escape, getting away, going on a journey into a fantasy world soundtracked by nostalgia. The driving basslines have the feel of movement, of going someplace elsewhere.

Can you name some of your go-to driving music?

Bloc Party, Miami Nights 1984, Com Truise, Lazerhawk, Chvrches, Timecop1984

Do you have a favourite driving game?

I loved Mario kart as a kid and recently found a website online where you can play retro games, so I kind of lost myself for a few days revisiting those old tracks. 

Can you name one of your favourite albums, movies and books?

Sonic Youth – Candle: The album really blew my mind when I first heard it, all this intense wall of noise, I try to capture that spirit in a few of our tracks for the chorus sections, fill them with dense synth sounds to attack the senses.

Book – I’d find it hard to choose just one so I’d go with all of Kurt Vonnegut’s entire catalogue. If I have to choose one I’d go with Timequake.

Movie: ‘Infamous’ Directed by Joshua Caldwell, starring Bella Thorne and featuring 6 of our tracks. It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to have my music featured in a film, so to have them soundtrack a Hollywood movie was one of my favourite things to have happened.

If you’re reading this on Friday, March 5th, be sure to tune in to the band’s Reddit AMA session at 5pm GMT.  

Drive Pt.1 is now up and running on Bandcamp and major streaming services.

Eternal Champion:
This song starts off with a trailing lead that intensifies over time, suddenly the bass is masked over by the guitar. By the time the synthesizer kicks in, it is obvious what is artificial and what’s real. This is the time to reminisce over 80s action movie vibes that we’ve long forgotten. 

Thunder Warriors:
I love the sinister thunderclap of this intro and how it ushers the guitar into a deadly vibe. Then the trajectory of the mood stops and the remainder of the track descends into an alternate personality. The theme seems to project an introduction of various elements, from guitar, to synth, to drum kicks. Once brought together, and the synchronicity is taken seriously, it strives to finish off with a stronger note than the initial chorus.

Coin Theif:
I’ll leave the introduction up to you to decipher, but what I really want to discuss is the crescendo and everything after 1:18. I firmly believe that this could have been its own track, and I would have been obsessed with it. The richness of the electronic elements provides a breath of fresh air, away from the start of the track. The electric guitar is slowly introduced back into the fray and makes for an enjoyable ride towards the end. 

Miracle Mission:
A slick, repetitive arpeggio and series of futuristic chimes grace our ears as we plunge into the next track, leading us into the trap of heavy guitar, drums, and bass. It’s almost like the electronic elements are under attack and forced to battle the 80’s hair metal nostalgia. There are parts of this track that seem to fall apart from the original theme, then get carried away into another.

Night Owl:
This next track smashes into the scene with fast-paced electronic chords followed by the thrashing energy of the guitar. Much of this track sounds to me like a boss fight. The cryptic variables within it prey upon the audible senses as an assertive means to grab your attention by the ears. There’s no need to take your foot off of the pedal, we’re deep within the confines of Dark Synthrock, and there’s no turning back.

The Runner:
Alongside the deafened choir raises a synthy cascade. Once the bass kicks in, our backs are against the wall and the progression of tempo hastens. The digitized down-tempo bridge is a playful and powerful method to keep both the guitar and synthesizer relevant rather than rivaling to claim their own territory.

Summoner:
Out of the vestiges of the darkest void emerges “Summoner”, which no doubt leaves me to assume that most of this album’s track titles reflect DnD references. The colorful melodies and enraged guitar chords synchronize into harmony over the punchy percussion. Laying waste to the litany of arpeggios and coordinated chimes.

Paladin:
Synthwave, Retrowave, and other sub-genres truly make it known that nostalgia can be masterfully applied and at times unknowingly refracted from a particular track as a mere reminder of something old but sounding new. “Call Me” by Blondie was the obvious motif used for this track. At about 1:00, I heard the lyrics alongside this particular chorus,
“Color me your color, baby
Color me your car
Color me your color, darling
I know who you are”
Listen for yourselves and let me know your thoughts. Is it a welcomed motif? Would a remix of “Call Me” be a badass Dark Synthrock cover? “Paladin” gives us a brief reflection of the possibility.