Lakeside X release new single ‘Absinthe Dream’ ahead of ‘Fractured’ vinyl EP and Cargo Gallery show
Lakeside X (Photo by Karolina Faltysova)
Prague alternative/synth-pop act Lakeside X release their new single “Absinthe Dream” on 15 May 2026. “Absinthe Dream” follows “Factory Flowers”, released in March 2026. It’s the second of three confirmed singles leading to the band’s first vinyl EP, “Fractured”, due in June 2026. The third single, “Nightrider”, was filmed in Los Angeles and is scheduled for release alongside “Fractured”. The EP also includes remixes of “Factory Flowers”, among them a drum and bass rework by the project Ripple, and a B-side titled “Radio Free Berlin” in a Moderate Mix.
“Absinthe Dream” is produced by Daniel Myer, mixed by Jimmy Monell (Emmon), and mastered by Moimir Papalescu. A music video accompanies the release, directed by Daniel Dvorský and shot on the outskirts of Vancouver, BC. Dvorský, also directed the band’s earlier single “Fire In The Sky”.
The single draws on the cultural history of absinthe as a symbol of illusion and intoxication and maps it onto contemporary social media. Where “Factory Flowers” addressed technological alienation through an industrial-edged sound, “Absinthe Dream” approaches related territory through a slower, more atmospheric arrangement.
Vocalist and songwriter Janne Marvannen explains: “We are all dreaming the absinthe dream now. The screen glows green and blue and we drink deep from it — likes, filters, curated smiles, perfect lives. It is our wormwood. The poets of the Belle Époque drank to escape the hypocrisy of their world. We scroll to escape ours. But we have traded their vivid, terrifying honesty for a comfortable, luminous lie. This song is about that lie. It is a lullaby, yes — but the kind you sing to someone who is sleepwalking towards the edge.”
Dvorský, also directed the band’s earlier single “Fire In The Sky”. The “Absinthe Dream” video was shot in Vancouver, BC.
The “Absinthe Dream” single tracklist:
- Absinthe Dream
- Radio Free Berlin
- Factory Flowers (Pump Mix)
Table of contents
Lakeside X ‘Fractured’ vinyl EP – Out June 2026
Besides “Absinthe Dream”, “Fractured”, and the third single, “Nightrider”, the “Fractured” EP also includes remixes of “Factory Flowers”, among them a drum and bass rework by the project Ripple, and a B-side titled “Radio Free Berlin” in a Moderate Mix.
“Fractured” EP tracklist:
- A1. Nightrider
- A2. Absinthe Dream
- A3. Factory Flowers (Pump Mix)
- B1. Factory Flowers
- B2. Factory Flowers (Ripple Remix)
- B3. Radio Free Berlin (Moderate Mix)
Physical copies of “Fractured” will be available for the first time at the band’s headline show at Cargo Gallery, Prague, on 12 June 2026. The vinyl edition is strictly limited.
New Lakeside X album – Out autumn 2026
Work on Lakeside X’s next full-length studio album is underway, with a release planned for autumn 2026. The band are again collaborating with Daniel Myer (Haujobb, Architect, DSTR, Covenant), who produced their 2022 album “Love Disappears”.
Joining the production for the first time is Christian Eigner, musician, producer, and longtime drummer with Depeche Mode. Lakeside X opened for Depeche Mode in Prague on 30 July 2023 before an audience of more than 40,000, as previously reported by Side-Line.
Lakeside X at Cargo Gallery, Prague (12 June 2026) + Prague’s Planetum in December 2026
Lakeside X will headline Cargo Gallery in Prague on 12 June 2026. The show is their sole performance before autumn and will mark the live debut of new material, including songs from the forthcoming studio album. Physical copies of the “Fractured” vinyl EP will be available exclusively at this show. Tickets are on sale now.
Keyboardist Robert Broj says: “This show is important to us. It is where everything comes together for the first time — the new songs, the new sound, the vinyl in people’s hands. We have been building towards this and we want the audience to show where we’ve come so far. If you want to understand where Lakeside X is heading, June 12 is your answer.”
Later this year, Lakeside X will equally perform at Prague’s Planetum in December 2026. The venue houses a 22-metre (approx. 72-foot) hemispherical LED dome screen – the largest and highest-resolution of its kind in the world, deploying advanced LED rather than traditional projection technology for a fully immersive 8K visual environment. The show will take place in front of a strictly limited audience. Tickets for this event will be announced shortly.
About Lakeside X
Lakeside X are an alternative electronic act from Prague, Czech Republic. The project began in the 1990s under the name Dark Ages, with Janne Marvannen (vocals, songwriting), Robert Broj (keyboards), Jiří Fencl/Max Avalange (keyboards), and Lukáš Březina (guitar). Their first concert under the transitional name Lakeside Church took place at the Depeche Mode ‘Bong’ fanclub convention in 1997, mixing original material with Depeche Mode covers. Early demos were recorded at Prague studios including Buton, Cobra, and Vintage.
After a pause, Marvannen, Broj, and Fencl regrouped in 2004. That year they recorded a cover of “Higher Love” for the Czech Depeche Mode tribute compilation “Some Great Celebration”. X Production issued the debut album “Sunrise” in December 2004, combining original tracks with remixes. In 2005, drummer Igor Dvorský and guitarist Vít Hájek (Vito Hayek) joined as full members. The band changed its name to Lakeside X, partly to remove religious associations from the Lakeside Church name. The second album, “Exit:NowHere”, followed on X Production in 2007, with a darker, guitar-led sound. The third album, “City Of Red Lights”, arrived on X Production in 2010, recorded in 2009, and shifted further toward synthesizer-based writing. Around this time the band performed at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, supported IAMX in Brno, and supported Covenant in Prague. In 2011, Twilight Records in Argentina reissued “Sunrise” under the Lakeside X name.
In 2012 the band self-released the “Wonder” EP (six tracks), followed by reissues of “City Of Red Lights” and “Exit:NowHere” through Germany’s Black Rain label. A Camouflage support slot in Prague in 2013 was among the band’s last shows for several years. The band went quiet after 2014.
“Fire In The Sky”, released in December 2021 and covered by Side-Line, was their first new material after roughly eleven years. It was produced by Daniel Myer, with whom the band had announced their collaboration in May 2021. The album “Love Disappears” followed on Musicraft in 2022, preceded by the singles “Rising” (February 2022), “Lifeline” (June 2022), and “Time Has Come” (October 2022). “Fascination”, released in 2023, was named the number one track of 2023 on Czech Radio 1’s yearly chart. Guitarist Jakub Zachoval joined the band during the “Fascination” recording period.
On 30 July 2023, Depeche Mode selected Lakeside X as support for their Prague show, with an audience of more than 40,000. In 2025, the band completed an extensive European tour alongside Empathy Test, De/Vision, DeVision Redux, and Christian Eigner, including appearances at Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig and EastSide in Halle.
In March 2026, the band released “Factory Flowers” – the first new single in three years and the opening preview of their forthcoming studio album, produced by Daniel Myer and mastered by Moimir Papalescu. “Absinthe Dream” follows on 15 May 2026.
Current lineup: Janne Marvannen (vocals/songwriter), Robert Broj (keyboards), Igor Dvorský (drums), Jakub Zachoval (guitar).
Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!
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