The last time we featured Hollow Shift was when they took us on a philosophical, dark-wave trip with the existential and cinematic EP, Reload, so when we heard that they were back with Electric Gloom, we were excited to immerse ourselves in the Hollow Shift universe once more.
Enticing us with an astral guitar soundscape and pulsating rock drums, Electric Gloom opens with a driving dark-wave energy and the lyrics, “Memories dance on my lonely wall, whispering secrets, secrets in the hall, the cold wind blows, numbing all the pain…”
We are immediately enthralled by the cinematic allure of the track and could imagine Electric Gloom being featured in a Luca Guadagnino film or a sequel to Cruel Intentions. In many ways, the track feels like the lovechild of The Cure and Placebo.
As with a lot of Hollow Shift tracks, we appreciate the poetic prowess and rock club-friendly aura that manifests with Electric Gloom. Even though the track is super immersive sonically, we are able to hear every lyric, showcasing the masterful creative skill that the band offers.
We learn that the track is designed to capture “the experience of being awake while the city sleeps.” The band shares how they channel “insomnia, inner noise, and quiet urban alienation into a hypnotic late-night pulse.”
Electric Gloom is in fact a two-part release, along with Fire and Smoke which opens with the words, “The world is a graveyard…”, which cements the darker, existential sentiment of what is going on in society today. It feels super zeitgeist. The band says, “Fire and Smoke widens the frame, confronting the disillusionment and fragility of humanity with stark imagery.”
“Can you hear the children scream, can you feel their fractured dreams…” paints such a poignant picture of what is going on right now… and it’s heartbreaking.
We are grateful to Hollow Shift for sharing their authenticity through the medium of music. Their artistry is truly incredible. As a reminder, the band is comprised of Alexander Zamparas (composition and production) and Jessica Bell (composition and vocals). How they have decided to share their art as a call to awareness is truly inspiring.
Naturally, we have added both songs to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Hollow Shift, including Heat, Thoughts of Everywhere, and Clash.