Hollow Shift – WAR

Let’s be real, songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing music can be a difficult process. Just imagine all the trials and errors learning how to deliver a perfect vocal line, nail that catchy riff, create a lush synth theme, or deliver a rhythm section that will force listeners to dance. Sometimes, it takes a lot of time, effort, and nerves to even craft a demo, not to mention the entire recording. If you’re familiar with the contemporary scene, you probably already know there’s plenty of fish in the pond, but the music may seem so repetitive to the point that many listeners return to the good old hits and tunes they keep close to heart. But also, if you dig deeper, you’ll find so many artists and bands whose music captivates with the initial notes and beats. Hollow Shift, a band we dearly love and have followed for some time, has been on a winning streak for a while now, delivering some of the finest compositions and entire recordings you could possibly stumble upon nowadays. And believe me, this is one of those music outlets that, once you press play, keeps you tied to your seat, soaking up all those vocal harmonies, lush melodies, and pulsating beats. With “WAR,” their latest piece of work released via streaming platforms today, Hollow Shift reaffirms their position as one of the greatest post-punk duos of our time. The best part about this extended play release is that it carries three marvelous compositions, and the only thing that will bug you all the time is that sweet feeling of which song sounds the best. But to fully embrace and appreciate the brillance of this band, you need to take a deep dive into their creative process, a moment where the band picks particular stylistic directions in order to craft catchy, memorable, engaging songs. Maybe post-punk dominates the most, but do not be surprised if you notice how synthwave, synthpop, electronica, and other similar styles lurk around, decorating, elevating, accentuating, and doing everything else they do in order to make these three compositions resonate with you even more. Whether being a simple detail, nuance or layer hidden or dominantly present in the particular segment or overflowing the entire song structure, these music genres are somewhere there, waiting for you to discover them, like little gems or treats that surprise you when you do not expect them. Hollow Shift is known for its dedication to the craft, so you’ll definitely enjoy this material.

To fully understand the sonic concept of “WAR,” you need to take a deep dive into this material. Is it post-punk, synthwave, or electronic music release? Any answer would be an appropriate one, because Hollow Shift is one of those duos that exemplifies how things have to be done when you write and compose music. Take “Hapheastus,” an introductory piece, as a perfect example. Each one of the mentioned styles is present there. For example, the marvelous vocals channel that captivating, ethereal, otherworldly post-punk energy, delivering soulful, emotive, and powerful harmonies with such finesse. In the meantime, the synths levitate somewhere between synthwave and new wave, but do not be surprised if you stumble upon similarities with late seventies or early eighties electronic music. All those synth leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, pads, sequences, and other sonic maneuvers define this composition. Whether a melodic sequence or a heavy bassline, it doesn’t matter, because both equally represent a particular atmosphere that vividly moves Hollow Shift’s sound into eighties synthwave territory. But of course, the brilliance of this duo hides in their approach to various styles, and their next composition, “Nothing Dies Quietly,” leans much more into darkwave, industrial, and dark ambient territory. The heavy, dynamic pulsating rhyhtmic patterns propel this number to new heights while the intricate, groovy, somewhat distorted bassline sequences contribute tremendous clarity and melody to the song. But the dark ambient and complexity come from the cleverly assembled pads, soundscapes, and main themes, delivered precisely via synths. This instrument is solely responsible for why this song sounds so luxurious and complex. Of course, the vocals make this composition so addictive, hypnotic, irresistible, and captivating. You’ll notice how every low, mid, and high note has been delivered with such precision and finesse, making this composition even more appealing to the ears. “Frequencies Will Stumble” continues with more dark sonic maneuvers that may remind some listeners of lush late eighties and early nineties dream pop, goth rock, and post-punk moments, but it also shifts more into calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal soundscapes composed to suit the modern sonic landscape. The entire composition articulates with profoundly intricate, downtempo electronica, empowered with various darkwave, synthwave, and electronic music elements. The way all those subtle yet vividly hearable orchestral layers match the luxuriant vocal harmonies and powerful beats will blow you away. Hollow Shift know how to assemble songs that are so calm, melancholic, psychedelic, otherworldly yet so dynamic, groovy, and powerful. They paid attention to every detail, making this such a fascinating sonic journey.

With three compositions that further expand their creative output, Hollow Shift have proved that a perfect combination of different yet complementary music genres can sound so luxuriant, complex, and otherworldly at the same time. With “WAR,” they’ve created their most ambitious work so far, pushing boundaries and bending all the rules, and proving what synthwave and post-punk sound could and should be nowadays. Hollow Shift is, without any doubt, a band you should immediately place on your music radar, mainly because their creativity, ideas, and genre-bending sound will immediately appeal to your ears. Do not miss this gem!