Death Popsicle shares debut EP ‘Komuso’

Coming out of the forests of Northern Arizona, Death Popsicle is a new darkwave industrial project finding beauty in isolation and strength in emotion. Created by musician and producer Devon Aviles, the solo venture forms in a compelling overlap between darkwave, industrial, goth, hip hop and modern electronic stylings, producing a sound that refuses to be boxed into any one particular category. Death Popsicle’s sound pairs brooding vocals and haunting melodies with cinematic production, drift phonk energy and the rhythmic energy of 90s hip hop to create music for those who have always felt like outsiders.

Taking inspiration from artists including Type O Negative, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, Death Popsicle looks beyond nostalgia, using familiar influences as a launchpad for something new and entirely personal. Themes of alienation, identity, emotional survival and societal collapse ripple throughout the project, but they’re dissected with a sincerity that keeps the music tethered to human experience as opposed to dystopian fantasy.

Devon’s steadfast determination to create music that speaks directly to listeners facing loneliness and disconnection translates into music that’s cinematic, original and profound all at once. With a focus on atmosphere, storytelling and candid songwriting, Death Popsicle’s presents an engrossing fusion of sonic intimacy, expansive electronic textures and lyrics that examine the struggles of everyday life. Last year, Death Popsicle unveiled their fiercely original sonic vision with the debut single “I Don’t Wanna Be Me” and now, the project takes an exciting step forward with the arrival of its debut EP titled Komusō.

The five-track outing is named after the wandering Japanese monks recognised for their basket-covered faces and pursuit of detachment, with Komusō using its title as a lens through which to explore themes of isolation, identity, emotional neglect and the challenge of maintaining connection in an increasingly fragmented world. The symbolism provides a fitting backdrop for an EP concerned not merely with loneliness, but with what it means to survive emotionally while feeling disconnected from those around you.

Entirely composed, recorded, performed, produced, mixed and mastered by Devon Aviles himself, the EP is a complete expression of an emphatic creative vision. Forged in the forests of Northern Arizona, the surroundings subtly influence the music’s spacious character, creating a feeling of distance that simmers throughout the record.

Opening track “Animal” instantly maps out the EP’s thematic direction and via a combination of industrial intensity with darkwave textures, it examines ideas of conformity, control and the instinctive impulses that continue to infirm modern society beneath carefully constructed appearances. The booming roll of the beat, brooding atmosphere and commanding vocal performance amplify the song’s examination of the tension between individuality and social expectation, resulting in an enthralling listening experience from start to finish.

“Dear Friends” follows, reflecting on neglect, fading relationships and the pain of growing disconnected from the people who once mattered most. Drifting into focus with an eerie atmosphere, the track erupts with buzzing synth elements, rattling percussion and immersive vocal layers, crafting a dark synth pop scene brimming with memorable melodies, moody tone and marching rhythmic drive. “Ugly” turns the attention to self-worth and outsider identity, confronting the relationship between appearance and acceptance, presenting a gripping display of Death Popsicle’s knack for transforming profoundly personal subjects into enveloping musical moments, using stacked electronic soundscapes to highlight the emotional context of the songwriting.

With “Own,” an airy atmosphere gently glides with soft synth flickers and washing texture before the jump of hip hop-inflected grooves usher in impassioned vocals, crafting a slick alternative pop anthem that’s infectiously rhythmic and wholly absorbing throughout. Closing the EP with “Vulnerable,” the stab of synth notes and filtered rustle of drums expands with punching energy as crisp hi hats and expressive vocals coalesce with pulsing instrumentation to create a haunting slice of dark and theatrical music.

With Komusō, Death Popsicle delivers an assured introduction to a project driven by a cutting edge vision and meaningful thematic ideas. It’s an EP that distils darkness while keeping sight of hope, laying down a powerful opening chapter from an artist who’s sure to impress listeners all over the world.

Listen to Komuso below