CUT.RATE.BOX returns with free download single ‘Reel Life’ after nearly two decades of silence
CUT.RATE.BOX
After nearly two decades of silence, apart from the EP “Xenophobe” holding older material, American electro-industrial act CUT.RATE.BOX has returned with the new single “Reel Life”, available now for free via Bandcamp and all other digital services (albeit with different cover artwork).
CUT.RATE.BOX, initially a duo featuring Wygonik alongside Clint Sand, was founded in 1989. Musically it fuses emotional synthpop, darkwave atmospheres, and socially confrontational lyrics. With releases on Gashed! Records, Accession Records, and WTII, the band was one of the strongholders in the North American and European EBM and dark electronic music scene.
The new track “Reel Life” continues in that vein, offering a dense, modern synthesis of EBM and glitch-infused synthpunk. Thematically you can expect nods to algorithmic manipulation, digital propaganda, and mediated identity. The track is offered as a pay-what-you-want digital single.
According to Wygonik, the song was born from a long creative incubation following Hurricane Katrina, which devastated his home and left deep psychological scars. “I never stopped writing — but it took until now to feel like there was something worth saying again, something urgent.”
The music video for “Reel Life” takes the track’s themes further, portraying a stylized dystopia where townspeople attend a service led by a deepfake preacher delivering algorithm-generated scripture. As the video progresses, simulated reality and raw symbolism merge, depicting society as entranced by curated spectacle.
About CUT.RATE.BOX
CUT.RATE.BOX, initially a duo featuring Wygonik alongside Clint Sand, was founded in 1989 in Erie, Pennsylvania. The project soon evolved into a key player in the U.S. industrial underground, especially after joining Gashed! Records in the early 2000s.
The debut album “Dataseed” (2002) and the EP “New Religion” (2003) were well received thanks to its successful blend of melodic synthpop with harsh electronics and lyrical sociopolitical critique.
After the destruction of his home caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Wygonik paused all activity, leading to a prolonged hiatus. The project remained dormant for nearly 20 years, with no new material released until 2025.
Now based in New Orleans, G. Wygonik has revived CUT.RATE.BOX, integrating modern production tools, generative visuals, and contemporary themes into the project’s signature aesthetic.
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