Fans of The Soft Moon’s 2012 sophomore album Zeros, with its echoes of Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk infused with more modern views on the bleak like those espoused by Silk Flowers and Cold Cave, were left bummed out when the mastermind behind the curtain, Luis Vasquez, announced that it would be his final solo release. Thankfully, a move to Venice, Italy last year – where he was a victim of the stranger in a strange land syndrome – reinvigorated those feelings of isolation, leading to a new LP, Deeper, which comes out March 31.
The first single, “Black,” has that breathy, staggered vocal sensation that Trent Reznor has been so fond of in recent years. Just imagine if he did it during his peak and it might sound something like this.
Between frequent visits to Berlin, Vasquez retreated to Venice’s Hate Studios, located in the mountains near electronic guru and spiritual anchor Giorgio Moroder’s hometown. At Hate, he worked for almost a year with producer Maurizio Baggio to piece together Deeper, completing the album this past August 2014. The stark sonic formula so indicative of The Soft Moon’s music is maintained with the pulsating bass, unrelenting mechanized beats, wailing synth and those eerily, angular guitar lines that worm into your ears and never leave.
Baggio also worked to refine the album’s gothic palette, leaving Vasquez to concentrate more intensely on songwriting and singing than ever before.
“I’ve never worked so closely with someone before,” Vasquez said in a statement. “Working with Maurizio felt right and I completely opened up to him during the entire process. I finally felt the urge to express myself more verbally with this record and I was able to focus more on songwriting rather than just experimenting with soundscapes.”
“Black” can be purchased now and Deeper can be pre-ordered on iTunes.