Oakland’s Houses of Heaven fuse the grit of early industrial with dizzying hits of EBM, techno, and drum and bass, all imbued with lyrical themes that draw equally from the emotional and the mechanical. Within/Without, their sophomore LP for Felte, delves into a realm of intricate intensity, pushing electronics to the forefront with the production prowess of Matia Simovich (Inhalt), and features top-of-their-game guest vocals from Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb) and Mariana Saldaña (Boan). While the dub-influenced, shoegaze throb of Silent Places (2020) immersed itself in the paradox of opulence against the unsettling backdrop of California’s wildfires, Within/Without confronts social order through the lens of inner strife. It explores a contrast between the fantasy worlds and unfiltered truths that define modern survival, and a yearning for genuine human connection brought on by the anxiety and isolation of technology. On Within/Without, Houses of Heaven truly come into their own with a distinctive alloy of electronic, industrial, psychedelic and shoegaze elements. They create a dynamic conduit for discord and harmony with a profoundly human essence, bridging interior lives and exterior pressures through visceral songcraft and deft pacing. In a cruel and technologically dominated world, emotional gridlock is rampant. Yet, in the propulsive paranoia of album highlight “Flesh Techniques”, we’re reminded that it’s often best to “breathe in / these dreams again / shake, shake it off”.For fans of New Order, Drab Majesty, The KVB, The Soft Moon, Nitzer Eb, Boy Harsher.
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