Assimilation? No! Acting? Yes!

The marvellous Strange Brew in Bristol has a superb double header this Saturday, with She Past Away and ACTORS bringing some noise to the big city.

I've featured She Past Away here a couple of times, having been introduced to them by Lady K in late 2024 and then encouraged to buy their remix compilation X with my birthday Bandcamp gift voucher.

Anon commented at the time that their favourite track on the compilation was Asimilasyon, so I've opted for the original version, from 2015 album Narin Yalnızlık ("Delicate Loneliness"), to head up this post.

The 80s goth references are unashamedly clear: The Cure circa A Forest, The Sisters Of Mercy, Clan Of Xymox; She Past Away offer a fresh spin on these familiar sounds, not least because of their admirable focus on Turkish-language songs.

I revisited She Past Away in February this year when they released the single Mizantrop, the title track of a 7-song album that was released a couple of days later. Here it is again, plus track 5, Kaygan Kayalıklar ("Slippery Cliffs")

 

This is ACTORS' first appearance on this blog and I know very little about them. However, just the opening seconds of current single Youth show why they were an obvious complement to She Past Away on a gig bill.

Again, references are firmly rooted in the 80s, maybe a dash more of Comsat Angels at the funkiest end of their catalogue. Great video, too.

ACTORS hail from Vancouver, Canada and also have a new album to promote - their third - titled Our Love Will Live Forever, out earlier this month. Here are a couple more songs to whet your appetite.

 

If I'm hyping this as a must-see show, and I think I am, it may come as a surprise that I won't be there on Saturday. Commitments within the extended Clan K network mean that I will be elsewhere. 

Not that they'll miss me: it's a long sold-out show and those packed within Strange Brew's confines will be in for a great night.

The Noir Sound Of Tomorrow, Today

We're into the umpteenth day and week of rain here, to the  extent that I can no longer recall if there has been a day in 2026 so far that it hasn't rained. Everything feels damp right now, not least my squibs.

So, what a great time for monochrome videos from not one but two goth-aligned gloom merchants who I have a great fondness for.

First up is Ladytron with A Death In London, sounding unmistakeably like them, but with additional backing from LFO (beats) and Fad Gadget (Under The Flag-era sax). 

The latter was played by Alison Moyet, fact fans, and whilst there's no sign of her guesting on Ladytron's latest effort (but wouldn;t that be a great team-up?), the brass lends a further unsettling quality to the tune which works well. Looking forward to the upcoming album.

Today's other song is by She Past Away, who were recommended to me by Lady K, although as that was approx. two years ago, she's undoubtedly moved on and may now consider them old hat.

I quite like this old hat though and you will too, if you've always wanted to hear a collaboration between The Cure and The Sisters Of Mercy (early 80s, natch) with Andrew Eldritch intoning throughout in Turkish.

You don't need to be qualified to guess that Mizantrop translates as Misanthrope, the broad definition of which is "a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society."

Given the (mental) state of those in power currently, you can get where they're coming from. 

Ladytron are playing Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester in March, then supporting Gary Numan in Halifax come July. Tickets available here.

She Past Away are also landing on these shores in Sepetember, with dates in Glasgow and Manchester, which you can find here. Not listed on Ents 24, but they're also performing at Strange Brew in Bristol, according to the Headfirst site, and they should know. I'm sorely tempted to scratch that itch.

Türkçe'de "Karanlık Dalga" Nasıl Denir?

Or, how do you say "Dark Wave" in Turkish?

Katarsis by She Past Away was Lady K's pick when I asked for suggestions to spend the Bandcamp gift voucher that she bought for my birthday last month. 

According to their bio, "She Past Away is dark-wave with a reworked 80’s sound. Signature guitar sound of the post-punk era, combined with minimalist poetry in Turkish. Often an outburst of sentimental anxiety through the nihilistic mind-frame, it is personal. Yet it is broad, a wondering mind brave enough to question taboo and existence.

She Past Away is driving, it is mesmerizing. It is a haunt."

Lady K's recommended song was 2015 single Katarsis, a confident breeze (or should that be chill wind?) through Goth Pop country, the most obvious influence being Clan Of Xymox, with a suitably retro video with in-built VHS glitches to match. 

She Past Away is Turkish duo Doruk Öztürkcan and Volkan Caner. In 2020, they celebrated the band's tenth birthday with X, a 22-track remix album including a full-throttle rework of Katarsis by Italian Cold Wave trio Ash Code.

(And no, I don't yet know the difference between Dark Wave and Cold Wave)

Given their significant influence on She Past Away, it should be no surprise that Clan Of Xymox were approached to contribute to X. They deliver not one but two remixes: Sanrı comes courtesy of founder/frontperson Ronny Moorings; Hayaller is overhauled by bandmate Mario Usai. 

 

The most recent release from She Past Away was the single İnziva, which again comes with a moody and meaningful video, this time in magnificent monochrome.

Turkish Goth? Whether Cold or Dark Wave, or both, I'm in!