Novelí released her debut single “Mind or Body” on September 22, 2026, the date she describes as the autumn equinox. The digital single blends EBM, darkwave and synthpop with melodic pop hooks, under a style the underground DJ calls “Maximal Wave.” “Mind or Body” is out now on Bandcamp.

In her own description, Novelí draws on “darkwave, 80s synthpop, Anhalt EBM, 90s video game soundtracks, and Latin freestyle.” According to her press materials, the track has drawn social-media comparisons to Dead or Alive, The Lost Boys and Depeche Mode.

Novelí is a transgender woman. Her visual style draws on goth figures such as Siouxsie Sioux and Alaska, while her vocal delivery is influenced by male singers Andrew Eldritch and Peter Murphy. Addressing that contrast, she said: “I used to think my voice was too deep for a woman, but I’ve grown to think there’s something kind of sickening about being a bass singer who looks like a femme fatale.”

Novelí on the themes behind ‘Mind or Body’

“Mind or Body” follows a narrative arc from secrecy and self-hatred toward the possibility of self-acceptance, reflecting Novelí’s own process of accepting her trans identity. She described the song’s broader theme: “Not everyone can relate to the trans experience, but I think almost everyone can relate to feeling like something about you is socially unacceptable, so you feel like you have to carry it alone. And ideally, you eventually figure out how to live with it and even embrace it. It’s about entertaining even the tiniest possibility that you can fall in love with the parts of yourself you’ve been hating for a long time.”

Novelí said proceeds from the single support her gender-affirming care and sustain her artistic practice.

The single is accompanied by an official video for “Mind or Body”, directed by Daniel Foerste from a concept by Novelí. The video depicts a sacrificial figure who becomes a living altar. Explaining the imagery, Novelí said: “Society sees trans bodies as something horrific, and I wanted to capture that. We’re so often scapegoated, but I also wanted to show that there can be something divine in us, something sacred.” The video references goth figures Bauhaus, Siouxsie Sioux and Sopor Aeternus alongside vaporwave aesthetics, Italian giallo film, religious iconography and Japanese Butoh.

B-side “Someone” describes falling into limerence over an unavailable person, before recognizing that a partner unable to reciprocate is not enough. The track layers dreamlike synthwave with chiptune elements drawn from video-game soundtracks.

On the choice to release on the autumn equinox, Novelí said: “It’s a time of transition and harvest, reaping the rewards of the year’s efforts. This date felt necessary, given the theme of transformation in the songs.” Both tracks are set to appear on her forthcoming full-length album “Transfigure,” a title she said refers to her trans identity and to embracing personal struggle as a spiritual experience.

About Novelí

Novelí is a longtime underground goth and industrial DJ who released “Mind or Body” as her debut single on September 22, 2026, through her own Bandcamp page. She describes her music as “Maximal Wave,” a style she describes as underground synth music with a splash of melodic pop sensibility, drawing on darkwave, 80s synthpop, EBM, 90s video-game soundtracks and Latin freestyle. Her visual references include goth-scene figures Siouxsie Sioux and Alaska, and her vocal delivery is influenced by Andrew Eldritch and Peter Murphy.

“Mind or Body” and its B-side “Someone” are set to appear on Novelí’s forthcoming full-length album “Transfigure.”

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. 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!

side-line.com