One of the best songs of 2016 was Holygram’s “Still There”. Released on the band’s fantastic debut EP, we said then that the evocative basslines combined with “atmospheric guitars and synths create a sound both fresh and nostalgic—like if New Order were released on Creation Records, or The Soft Moon on 4AD.”
This still holds true, as Cologne based band’s strange familiarity permeates the air in their latest video for “Signals”, which is already shaping up to be one of the best post-punk tracks of 2018. Don’t be surprised if you fall in love with this melane of gothic rock and shoegaze, while a nightclub dancefloor is engulfed in fog, or perhaps a stage across Europe and the US.
Yes, Holygram, a band that could be described as Slowdive meets The Sisters of Mercy. will not only be touring Europe, but the US as well, with their record release show set for November 14th at the Viper Room in Los Angeles.
On the new album’s production and upcoming European and North American tour with VNV Nation (see dates bel0w) the band had this to say:
“With Modern Cults we wanted to dig deeper into themes from our 2016 EP and explore its urban nightscapes and nocturnal animals a little bit more. It is a trippy journey through a city at twilight, a place between hope and loss, quite personal actually. What do certain places do to us and what happens to us when they fall apart?
We wanted to capture our live sound and worked with Italian producer Maurizio Baggio who is responsible for The Soft Moon’s albums Deeper and Criminal. We were looking for something raw and monumental but yet catchy and bright. The 11 songs are kind of the ideal version of a HOLYGRAM show.
It is this idea behind the album that makes it even more exciting to bring it onto the stage later this year on a big tour through Europe and the US/Canada with VNV Nation.
The album’s first single “Signals” tries to shine out like a star but eventually is a dark, inertial mass pulling you down into a feverish delirium. Communication is impossible, everything is fractured. For the video we worked with lead sculptures by Cologne-based artist Christian Keinstar to create the right visual mood for the song and WE OWN YOU found the perfect pictures.”
