House of Light and the churning running dark romance of "Last Dance"

 

"babe I can't feel you.... must be the last dance..."

From their upcoming 3rd full length,"Dysphoria", the night feels more oppressive, more daring, relentless and thus more darkly romantic as I listen to "Last Dance" by House of Light. This dark wave post punk band, Australians that found each other in Berlin in 2009, have toured through Europe and the US, caught the approving ear of Frank Black of the Pixies and been interviewed by Andy Rourke of the Smiths. No small feat and the sound that the band churns out is so evocative of a not only a specific time but an endless time and sub culture that will never go away. In some way, the dark wave notions intertwined with late 60's Gothic rock and 80's (and beyond) Goth pop affections is a sound fused in psychedelic punk and romance wave.  Step into "Last Dance" with the driving pulsating stacks of sound, shoegaze hushed vox, and density of emotional weight and it feels cinematic. It, in fact, rocks like Americana rock, like Euro dance punk, a dark post punk sound known the world over like the rush between love and loss. Some music writers mark the Gothic dark wave in specific decades, a vague demarcation between 78 and 2010. Fucking ridiculous. The dark romance wave sound, Gothic or not will never die just like Noir films will never die. The tones might change some, be reinvented, hybridized and that is alright. Nostalgia, a personal homage, a thing of the future. Either /or, it is something you know and love when you hear it. Loving House of Light.

-Robb Donker Curtius

houseoflight · Last Dance

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:


sptfy
facebook 
instagram



Formed in Berlin, House of Light recorded their 1st album with Gordon Raphael & Clif Norell (NIN,REM, Jeff Buckley) followed by tours of Europe and USA. Often described as dark and melodic, with roots in new wave, indie & psych they have been compared to groups as varied as New Order, the Cure & Depeche Mode.

Lyrically oriented, they lean to a post-romantic bent reminiscent of the optimism of the 80s and the laments of the 90s & are set to soon release their 3rd album "Dysphoria"

On the USA tour they were hailed by the likes of Frank Black of the Pixies, bursting onto the LA scene with an invitation to work with Cleopatra Records. HoL have been booked with acts such as Lydia Lunch, Pete Doherty & interviewed by Andy Rourke of the Smiths.

House of Light, dark wave, gothic, post punk, Australians in Berlin, dark and melodic, new wave, indie, psychedelic punk, new album "Dysphoria", "Last Dance",