NORMAL BIAS BEGINS & ENDS W SEDUCTION

NORMAL BIAS BEGINS AND ENDS W SEDUCTION.

Being seduced by music with elements of Depeche, Camouflage & Nitzer Ebb and you will be reeled in. NORMAL BIAS released their S/T E.P. in 2022, and I am definitely late to the party. Just make sure to not be late to Modern Wav at Music Box 9/2 as they will be apart of the stellar lineup alongside electronic legends Nitzer Ebb and local starlets, Matte Blvck.

NORMAL BIAS crafted a dark banger with the track "Embody Control" that is regularly heard thoughout dark dancefloors + #healthgoth playlists. Once you hear it, you will be singing that verse and swaying in not time. Let's gets to know Chris of Normal Bias.

1) So tell us, how did Normal Bias start off. I love hearing how bands meet one another.

My previous band multiple man put out a record on Matt’s label DKA about 8 years ago. We were just boys. It was a good record but it was mixed like shit because I was 22. Matt offered to mix it so I guess we’ve been collaborating for almost a decade. I feel old. I need a drink.

2) Just by listening to Normal Bias, i know we have a lot of the similar tastes in music. What exactly is Normal Bias listening to?

I feel like all I listen to at home is some combination of Neil Diamond and stone temple pilots. If you’re talking influences I would put us in the realm of Cabaret Voltaire and severed heads. Anti tough guy, Mid 80s industrial that wasn’t afraid to sample silly bullshit.

3) Over the next coming months, NORMAL BIAS has some huge dates over the fall -- MODERN WAV + SUBSTANCE. Any new music or news on the horizon to accompany the massive shows?

We’ll have an LP done soon! Scared of how long record plants take these days. But we’re excited.

MODERN WAV scouted NORMAL BIAS for the monumental event on LABOR DAY WEEKEND 9/2 because of the incredibly music production that would sit at the same table as the many artists in your Spotify playlist. Don't miss them at

the next MODERN WAV.

SOFT VEIN: Lust, love, and the human condition.

Lust, love, and the human condition. SOFT VEIN's journey into darkwave and electronic has created a cult following with his project and the other live half of Harsh Symmetry.

Justin will perform live at Modern Wav on May 19th with Patriarchy, bringing his impressive March release 'VIOLENTIA' to the stage. Get ready for a dark and unforgettable experience.

Let's stab right into it.

1) Justin, I've repeatedly been listening to your latest song, VIOLENTIA, and I love how the production transports me to the world of SOFT VEIN. Can you share how you created this track?

Thanks for listening. VIOLENTIA came to me really quickly and the production really flowed and felt right as I was putting it together so I just went with it. I started with the drums and bass, which is my process for most songs. I looked for synth sounds that were haunting, and the sounds I found would really influence the recording of what’s become my first full-length album. Once I added those, I knew what the song was about and wrote the lyrics basically in a stream of consciousness, recorded the vocals in one take, added some guitar toward the end, and that’s it. It really helped break my pattern of overthinking things, and I’m really proud of that song.

2) As the tour life continues, what artists are you sharing the stage with are something that you find yourself amazed by?

I haven’t played many shows yet, but I’ve gotten to share the stage with Forever Grey a few times now, and they amaze me every time. CD Ghost is amazing as well; our show together at Rubycon Records in LA was a lot of fun. I’m really excited about some shows I have coming up this year.

3) Not only are you SOFT VEIN, but you are also fluid musically as a part of Harsh Symmetry. The bands have two different sounds. Is there a fine line between the two?

Harsh Symmetry is a solo project, like SOFT VEIN, and I perform as a live member. But I’ll say that performing that project has been such a positive and influential experience for me in so many ways. The two projects are definitely distinctive and what I enjoy most about performing with him is getting to do something completely different from SOFT VEIN, so I’d call it a bold line.

4) Would SOFT VEIN like to share anything or provide any exclusive information?

I'll l be announcing the release of my first full-length album soon. <3

It is highly recommended to arrive early at El Corazon Del Barrio this Friday, May 19th. You wouldn't want to miss any of the devilish performances from SOFT VEIN, Patriarchy, and the intimate show by Gisella Thorn. Additionally, we have a star-studded cast of DJs - Alex Gonzales from Matte Blvck, 7th Stranger, Javi Nunez, and Gothcheez - who will keep you dancing in your Demonias until the night's end. Be sure to dress for a lively funeral, as the second edition of Modern Wav is just around the corner. We look forward to seeing you in the fog.

Please consider adding our curated Spotify Playlist “Dark Entries” to your collection. You’ll have the opportunity to listen to Soft Vein along with other exceptional dark electronic artists that we love.

Patriarchy: Bed, blood, bath, and Beyond.

"Bed, blood, bath and beyond" is what could be said about Patriarchy's recent European tour. Their madness of live snuff metal lands in San Diego with the second edition of Modern Wav at Corazon Del Barrio in Barrio Logan alongside Soft Vein Friday, May 19th.

As I joined the Modern Wav team, I got the opportunity to converse digitally with Patriarchy. Without further anticipation, let's get to the flogging questions.

1) Huizenga, who do you channel when you are on stage? Your energy on stage draws the audience in and keeps them watching and enthralled.

I’m really not present when I’m performing, so I can’t be sure. Sometimes maybe it feels like some dude inside of me, but the channel is not clear.

2) During your travels in the US, which artists have you performed with that have left Patriarchy in awe?

It was always inspiring watching Pixel Grip every night on our tour together, and most recently, Mvtant, King Yosef, marquis.is.dead, and Choke Chain has really got our blood pumping. Though Sandy Smiles will always reign supreme.

3) Siouxsie just came back. Have you seen the clips? What are your thoughts on her return?

I didn’t realize she had gone… I’d love to see her play the song from Batman and the underrated masterpiece ‘Forever.’

4) Remixes are very prevalent in the Patriarchy catalog. Zanias, Kris Baha, Kontravoid, Bon Harris (of Nitzer Ebb), and Rhys Fulber (of Front Line Assembly. Who is currently using ingredients associated with the Patriarchy in their kitchen?

I guess we can use this opportunity to announce that a full remix album of The Unself has just gone in the oven. Can’t name all the chefs quite yet, but we’ve tapped over a dozen of our faves for the first time, as well as a few returning for seconds.

Other exciting news: We have a second press coming of The Unself vinyl on special bloody semen-splattered wax, as well as the fifth and final chapter in The Unself video saga, a steamy thriller set to crowd favorite ‘No Touch Torture.’

We are also excited to play our first LA hometown show in a year headlining Dum Dum Fest at the Echo on June 24. as well as some other epic festivals in the coming months, like Verboden in Vancouver, the Terminus in Calgary, and the newly minted Immortalis at Portland's epic Coffin Club.

Please consider adding our carefully curated Spotify playlist called "Dark Entries" to your collection. You'll have the opportunity to listen to Patriarchy along with other exceptional dark electronic artists that we love.

As we inch closer and closer to May 19th at El Corazon Del Barrio, we strongly encourage all our dark-spirited friends to indulge in the experience that is Patriarchy, Soft Vein, and live rope performance artist Giselle Thorn for an intimate setting of Modern Wav.

We highly recommend purchasing presale tickets as Modern Wav has already gained wide notoriety for selling out. As I say in my posts, “Regrets are forever, and Presale is not.”

Speaking to the grace of such darkness, Patriarchy, was an honor.

See you May 19th.

• Gothcheez

Straight Razor: “I Make Music That Is Meant To Play Loud”

Every artist’s journey is unique, but some are more unique than others. Omar Doom AKA Straight Razor may be known for his appearance in Quentin Tarantino films (especially because he had the honor of killing Hitler), but his experience as an actor is much more recent than his history as a musician. Like any seasoned musician, his passion for music has involved him in multiple musical projects throughout the years, many of them in collaboration with other artists. Music has long been his main artistic focus, and he hadn’t even considered acting professionally until he met Quentin Tarantino, who told him he should pursue this art form as well. Seems he knew what he was talking about - who would have known that such a legendary and critically-acclaimed director would know potential when he sees it??

Clearly, the stars aligned to bring such a fated meeting of the minds to fruition, and we thank them because it brought a larger audience to an artist who deserves to be in the spotlight! Modern.Wav is thrilled to be showcasing Straight Razor at our April 15th show at Music Box San Diego in San Diego, along with Health, Author & Punisher, and Matte Blvck. And don’t worry: as an artist who prides himself on the intensity and cinematic nature of his music, you can be sure that Omar’s passion for film and theatrics shines through his set. He has a defined sense of style and aesthetic that feels altogether classic and clean, heavy and haunting.

An artist like this is best captured and understood through their own experience and thoughts, so Modern.Wav took the time to deep-dive into the mind of Straight Razor. Without further ado…

As a musician who is more widely known for your acting work, how do you feel your musical audience finds their way to you?

People are discovering my Straight Razor albums through their releases, social media and also through my acting work. I think fans of my movies are liking the movie soundtrack vibe of my music.  Worlds collide when I do music for movies. You can hear a Straight Razor track in the opening credits of the horror movie SPREE starring Joe Keery of Stranger Things. 

What newer artists do you look to as the future of the kind of music and/or musical communities you want to live in?

I just started a record label called Doom Vision where I’ll be releasing remixes from various artists that I’m really excited about. I’ll be releasing the identity of the remixers on my socials soon. I’ll be playing some of the new remixes for the first time at the show on April 15th at Music Box San Diego. There will be new Straight Razor music as well. Doom Vision is the future. 

What non-music art and artists have inspired your creative path, and how do you feel it shows in your music?

I love all the visual tropes in Giallo films (Stylized Euro-Slashers/ Murder Mysteries). The sleek, masked killers with black gloves and often a straight razor as their murder weapon was the inspiration for the name STRAIGHT RAZOR. 

What gets you lost in the world of music more than anything else?

I experience music best either in a club or driving. I make music that is meant to play loud. Aside from my studio, music sounds best to me on good club speakers or car speakers. Since we do a lot of driving here in Los Angeles, I get to listen to a lot of music. It’s a blessing and a curse. 

If you discovered your own work 10 or 20 years ago and didn’t know you were the one that made it, how do you think you’d feel about it?

I’d like to think that I would’ve liked it. I think there’s a vibe in my music that has been there from the beginning. The mediums and methodology of making art and music changes with time, along with technological advancements and whatever else the future holds. The feeling you get when experiencing the art/music stays the same. 

Are you on Spotify? Add Modern.Wav’s curated playlist “Dark Entries” to you favorites for more Straight Razor, Health, and Matte Blvck.

MATTE BLVCK Leak Performance Footage Ahead of Upcoming Show

Photography by Alex Casillas

Mere days before they play Modern Wav’s debut event on April 15th, 2023 at Music Box , MATTE BLVCK drops a performance video that gives us a look into the atmospheric and immersive experience they have in store for us…

MATTE BLVCK is taking a different approach from contemporary bands in their content creation, in a way that’s making the full experience more accessible. By filming high-quality footage for fans to consume from home, they are drawing people into their world and pulling them closer to the stage. This footage feels kind of like a trailer or a teaser for the in-person show, and a live crowd will only add to that. The energy of the crowd fuels the dynamic of the performance in real-time, changing and enhancing the experience. Still, even in this video, there is so much to take in.

The action is beautifully caught through the camera cutting between the band members during the performance. It so richly captures each one of them, all absorbed in their own world of knobs, buttons, instruments, microphones… It’s a landscape that we’ve come to associate with some of the most impressive and successful musical acts in electronic music. Still, people who aren’t familiar with the backend of electronic music underestimate the vast difference between creating and performing electronic music. MATTE BLVCK performs their track with such sonic integrity, bringing it to life through emotion and passion in every detail of their performance.

It’s rare to find a group of musicians with such skill in both technological and emotive aspects so in-tune in their collaboration with each other. The live mixing of the music alone is impressive, it’s even reminiscent of Daft Punk. What’s more, is that the spirit of the track manifests in the details of the expression and intention behind every movement. If they can perform like this without a crowd, imagine how a crowd will electrify the moment even more.

We’ve curated a Spotify Playlist encapsulated with dark mechanical-tinged music. Search for MODERN.WAV | DARK ENTRIES and save it to your favorites

Written by Flux Psyche