Chicago post-industrial duo [melter], Jax Allos & Robert Hyman, have a new single and a grainy black and white video out, “Blacklist”. The single comes ahead of upcoming tour dates of the US Midwest and East Coast, spanning July, August, and September 2024.

“Blacklist” has been mixed and produced with post-punk / deathrock / darkwave producer William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, et al) at Chicago’s 13 Studio; while the video was created by MoK Films and [melter].

Rob Hyman says of the track: “Musically the song took off once Jax supplied me with her vocal melody and lyrics. She had built off of a musical idea I started which is the electronic foundation of the song, but which finally became a [melter] track after the drums, bass and vocals were added to it. ‘blacklist’ is very representative of where [melter] is as a band right now. The song evolved into a powerful and driving backbone to Jax’s dynamic and textured vocal performance. Working with William Faith on the mix helped to present it as strongly as we had envisioned it while wiring it.”

“Blacklist” from [melter] is out now via Bandcamp as a 3-track single, featuring live versions of the title track, and the earlier track “Raw”, originally from the band’s self-titled debut EP (May 2023).

Upcoming [melter] tourdates

[melter] are soon to embark on a string of tour dates with Pittsburgh’s Hemlock for Socrates. The two bands’ Summer Tour kicks off in Louisville, Kentucky on July 26th, before taking in dates mainly across the US Midwest (Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois), and winding up with homecoming shows in Chicago, IL, and Pittsburgh, PA, on 10 and 11 August 2024.

Of the upcoming tour with Hemlock for Socrates, Rob says: “This is our first tour, so we are excited to play cities we’ve not played before and to perform to new audiences. Getting to spend more time with Hemlock for Socrates and enjoying life on the road for a few weeks. Jax and I end up living [melter] 24/7 when we are on the road and it really helps to spur new ideas and provide a lot of focus for what is next for us.”

And Jax adds: “I’m excited to continue growing our friendship with Heather and Kegan from Hemlock for Socrates, and I can’t wait for us to share all our stories from many years of music creation. I’m ecstatic about travelling, in part because I can tackle some of the things on [melter]’s to-do list while Rob is driving. Like Rob said, living the [melter] life 24/7. I’ll maintain productivity and brings me so much joy, you have no idea! Because, it’s the little things, right?”

In September, [melter] once again hit the road, this time for the Imperfect Waves Tour across the East Coast, alongside “Chicago glampires” Plasmata, and Cleveland industrial-rock / dark synth outfit 2 Forks.

Hemlock for Socrates and [melter] – Summer Tour 2024

• 26 July – Louisville, KY – Art Sanctuary
• 27 July – Columbus, OH – The Spacebar
• 31 July – Ypsilanti, MI – Ziggy’s
• 1 August – Madison, WI – Crucible
• 2 August – Grand Rapids, MI – Mulligan’s
• 3 August – Fort Wayne, IN – The Ruin
• 8 August – Cincinnati, OH – The Comet
• 9 August – Alton, IL – The Conservatory
• 10 August – Chicago, IL – Bourbon on Division
• 11 August – Pittsburgh, PA – The Government Center

Plasmata, [melter], and 2 Forks – Imperfect Waves Tour: September 2024

• 20 September – Lake Worth Beach, FL – Propaganda: ‘Nights in Necropolis’
• 21 September – Tampa, FL – New World Brewery
• 22 September – Atlanta, GA – 10 High
• 23 September – TBD – contact Hecataea Music for bookings
• 24 September – Pittsburgh, PA – Poetry Lounge
• 25 September – TBD – contact Hecataea Music for bookings
• 26 September – Philadelphia, PA – The Fire
• 27 September – Providence, Rhode Island – Fete Music Hall
• 28 September – Harrisburg, PA – JB Lovedrafts Micropub
• 29 September – Richmond, VA – Fallout RVA

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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.

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“Quanticode” is the debut album from 2 Forks: a brand-new dark electro-industrial project from Cleveland, Ohio, featuring past and present members of US goth rock act The Wake, among others. A concept album, “Quanticode” tells the story of the hunt for a fictional serial killer. “Quanticode” from 2 Forks is out now in CD and download formats from Bandcamp, and streaming from Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and all other major digital music platforms.

Daniel C. explains the concept of the album as follows: “The songs are not so much about the acts of a serial killer or the agents trying to apprehend the criminal, but are more about the thoughts and feelings behind these deeds.”

The new album follows on the heels of the band’s first two video-singles: July’s industrial rock track “Take It”, and the latest atmospheric dark synth offering, “I Feel Lost” from September. You can watch both videos for the tracks below.

About 2 Forks

2 Forks revolves around the central duo of frontman and multi-instrumentalist ‘Danny 2 Forks’ alias Daniel C – best-known as longtime drummer for The Wake (1989-present); alongside engineer, co-writer, programmer, and instrumentalist Gil Singer: a producer and beatmaker for local Cleveland bands at Compound Studio, including his own studio project Scrapdata. The project is augmented by guitarist Mark Gamiere, a former live member of The Wake (1996-2000), whose later credits also include Urban Needle and ( SIC ).

Daniel C, Gil Singer, and Mark Gamiere share a musical friendship stretching back to Daniel and Mark’s first high-school band together in the early 1980s, when both were just 14, which also featured Gil’s brother Guy Singer on vocals. Following a stint of ‘cover band’ gigs at local schools and community events, and with the addition of more “seasoned” players from their immediate circles, the band morphed into Midnight to Midnight (1985-86), who enjoyed some popularity in Cleveland, winning local talent contests and receiving regular airplay on local access TV.

Daniel and Mark would next go on to play together in K-9 Fire (1986-1988), who released one album and enjoyed marginal success via college radio and the local indie music scene. Daniel meanwhile departed Cleveland for Columbus in 1987, where he befriended members of what was then an up-and-coming local goth rock band, The Wake. Daniel was invited to join the group in 1989, and has played drums with them ever since. He was rejoined in The Wake by old bandmate Mark Gamiere in 1996, who took over from outgoing original guitarist Rich Witherspoon for live shows. Daniel C and Gil Singer later collaborated on ashort-lived studio project, Clair 63, around the early 2010s.

Fast-forward to the pandemic: The Wake’s scheduled European tourdates were being cancelled or postponed, leaving Daniel with time on his hands, and lots of it, for the first time in decades. Needing an outlet, Danny reached out to his childhood friend and former collaborator Gil Singer, and between them they conceptualised the new project. Once Daniel and Gil had written and recorded 11 tracks, their old friend Mark Gamiere was enlisted for additional guitars, completing the circle. In all, the new album “Quanticode” was created in under a year.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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.

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Celebrating the two-year milestone of their debut self-titled album, the ambient-electronic duo Voidant has just dropped their latest remix EP, “Abandon Hope”. The EP features contributions from remix artists such as Robots In Love, CWHK (Sunshine Blind), 2 Forks, Decommissioned Forests, and Max Rael, as well as a fresh remix by Voidant’s own Wolfie.

Voidant is a transatlantic collaboration between UK post-punk musician David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden, renowned for his work with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and US dark folk/trip-hop/goth rock vocalist Caroline Blind of Sunshine Blind. The “Abandon Hope” EP showcases six revamped tracks from their initial Voidant album.

Caroline reflects on the emotional depth of both the original album and the new EP, stating, “The process of writing these lyrics and vocal melodies was a therapeutic way to confront sadness and grief. It’s a farewell; there’s no turning back. The remix artists have perfectly understood the standalone power of the vocals.” She adds that the EP’s title, “Abandon Hope,” is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, encapsulating the theme of surrendering to the inevitable.

David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden, the co-founder and instrumentalist of Voidant and a veteran guitarist for bands like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and The Mission, contributes the ‘Birch Remix’ of “Phantom Ex” to round off the EP.

New video in the making

A forthcoming official music video for the Decommissioned Forests remix of “La Loba” is in the works, set for an October release. This will coincide with the debut of all Voidant’s music on digital streaming platforms for the first time.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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.

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Today we offer you the new video single, “Take It”, from the Cleveland, Ohio-based dark electro / industrial rock project 2 Forks. 2 Forks consists of Daniel C (The Wake), Gil Singer (Scrapdata), and Mark Gamiere (The Wake, SIC, Urban Needle) and “Take It” is the first single lifted from the forthcoming 2 Forks debut album, “Quanticode”.

You can view the video for “Take It” right below. The black and white video was produced by Chariot of Black Moth.

About 2 Forks

Though 2 Forks is a newly formed entity, Daniel C, Gil Singer, and Mark Gamiere share a longstanding musical history and camaraderie that dates back to their high school days in the early 1980s. During that time, Daniel and Mark, both just 14 years old, were part of a band that also featured Gil’s brother Guy Singer on vocals.

Reflecting on those early days, Daniel recalls that like many bands at the time, they formed before mastering their instruments, still figuring out their roles. Daniel had a background as a classically-trained pianist and had experience singing in choirs, while Gamiere was playing an electric guitar he acquired from a garage sale. Eventually, Daniel purchased a drum set, which became his true passion. This is how the band started—a mere idea without instruments or funding, but fueled by their desire to make music.

The band later evolved into Midnight to Midnight (1985-86), which gained some popularity in Cleveland. Daniel and Mark went on to play together in K-9 Fire (1986-1988), releasing an album and achieving modest success through college radio and the local indie music scene. In 1987, Daniel left Cleveland for Columbus to attend Ohio State University on a scholarship. There, he crossed paths with members of a rising local goth rock band called The Wake. In 1989, Daniel was invited to join the group as their drummer, a position he has held ever since. Mark Gamiere rejoined The Wake in 1996, replacing the original guitarist for live shows. In the early 2010s, Daniel C and Gil Singer collaborated on a studio project called Clair 63, albeit for a short duration.

With The Wake’s European tourdates being canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniel found himself with an unprecedented amount of free time for the first time in decades. Seeking an outlet, he reached out to his childhood friend and former collaborator, Gil Singer. Together, they conceptualized a new project where Daniel would step out from behind the drum kit and take on the role of frontman, writing songs, playing various instruments, singing, and leading the project. Gil, who also works at the local Compound Studio, would act as the main engineer, co-writer, and programmer, in addition to contributing guitar and bass. Once Daniel and Gil had written and recorded 11 tracks, they enlisted their old friend Mark Gamiere to add additional guitars, completing the circle.

In less than a year, the new album was created. “Take It” by 2 Forks is the first of several video-singles from their upcoming debut album, “Quanticode.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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.

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