The Mystic Underground return with new album ‘So Close, So Far’
The Mystic Underground
New York City darkwave and synthpop duo The Mystic Underground have released their new album “So Close, So Far” via Re:Mission Entertainment. The record is the sixth full-length studio album from singer/lyricist Vladimir Valette and keyboardist/producer Benedetto Socci and their second album for the Oklahoma City label following 2023âs “Everyone Deserves A Stage“.
With The Mystic Underground “So Close So Far” album, the duo present an 11-track set that continues their focus on dance-floor-oriented synthpop.
“So Close, So Far” is available in digital form and as a 6-panel CD digipak limited to 100 copies worldwide, available directly from Re:Mission Entertainment. Digital buyers receive the full 11-track album, while the physical edition combines the album with a deluxe package design; both formats include a download in standard lossless and lossy formats. A “LifeâŠSet To A Dance Beat 26” T-shirt is offered as a separate pre-order item.
The album was written, produced and mixed by The Mystic Underground themselves, with mastering handled by Jon Craig at Courthouse Sound in Manchester, England.
Valette and Socci say that the record is a response to personal and collective upheaval: “This is a record we feel very passionate about. A collection of songs that truly cut to the heart of what we are about as a band and how the world has shaped us both collectively and individually. Itâs a call to arms to those who cherish life with an unquenchable thirst for romance as a respite from the desolation and tumult of the everyday.”
Included is also the lead track “Darkness Hides At Dawn” which was already released in 2025. “Darkness Hides At Dawn” first appeared as a two-track digital single on 3 October 2025, including an extended dance mix of the title track. The accompanying video, filmed by long-time collaborator William Murray, premiered in October 2025.
About The Mystic Underground
From the heart of New York Cityâs dark electronic scene, The Mystic Underground is the duo of singer-lyricist Vladimir Valette and keyboardist-producer Benedetto Socci. Musically the project is a blend of dance music, new wave and post-punk.
The projectâs roots extend back to the early 2000s, with early releases including “The Wanderers” (2002) and the album “The Nameless And The Faceless” (2004). The EP “Gender Rules” appeared in 2013, followed by the single “Carry On, Young Men” in 2014 and “Laughter Turns To Tears” in 2015. These releases led to the 2016 album “Protagonist”, issued on Stereosonic Recordings.
After “Protagonist”, the duo continued to refine their approach with the standalone single “Athletes” in 2018 and the EP “Simple Minds, Simple Pleasures” in 2019, which included the single and video “Tempted By The Sounds Of Violence”. In November 2020 they released the album “Wrapped In Riddles”, available on CD and digital formats.
Singles from the “Wrapped In Riddles” era, including “The Fixer”, “Bushwick Boys, East Village Girls” and “A Certain Chemistry”, were supported with official videos.
In 2022 The Mystic Underground released the single “Peter”, including a remix by The Kolour Kult, and later in the year issued “Digital”. Both tracks marked the transition to Re:Mission Entertainment, with the band formally joining the labelâs roster in December 2022.
On 12 May 2023 they delivered the full-length album “Everyone Deserves A Stage” through Re:Mission Entertainment, available as a digital release and a limited digipak CD edition of 100 copies. The CD version adds three bonus tracks â “Peter”, “Digital” and the exclusive “Optimistic” – alongside core album tracks such as “A Spanner In The Works”, “The Backlash Comes”, “The Lonely Ones” and “Famous Last Words (Of A Generation)”.
“The Lonely Ones” was introduced as the albumâs first single in April 2023, followed later that year by “Famous Last Words (Of A Generation)” with remixes by Ghost Cop and Halovox. Additional remix activity in this phase included Maduroâs rework of “The Backlash Comes”.
In 2024 the duo continued with the single “In A Darkened Room”, accompanied by remixes such as the Jeremy Bastard remix dub, and the expanded single “A Very Shady Character”. They also appeared on Re:Missionâs annual label compilation series, placing tracks from the album cycle alongside labelmates on the 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions.
Ahead of “So Close, So Far”, 2025 saw the release of “Remember Me (Reimagined)”, a new studio version of the closing track from “Protagonist”, and the single “Darkness Hides At Dawn”, which acted as the flagship song for the new album.
Throughout this period, The Mystic Underground have remained a live act as well as a studio project, with performances at events such as Absolution Fest in Tampa and Out From The Shadows in Portland and regular appearances at New York venues.
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