Feb 22, 2023

By Caleb Campbell

Over the past few years, British outfit Crimewave have crafted a singular take on shoegaze and electronic music, tearing down the genres’ walls of sound and reimagining them into something dark and futuristic. We first covered them in 2021 with their single “Haemoglobin,” but since then the band have been adding tinges of dance and industrial music to the fray with a new string of singles, including their latest track, “50 Rapid.”

That song acted as the first single from their forthcoming debut EP, Altercation, and today they’re back with the record’s latest track, “Aftermath,” premiering with Under the Radar.

For “Aftermath” Crimewave dive into the surreal haze of sensations surrounding a violent night out. It is a glimpse of the dark and grimy side of nightlife, propelled forth by blaring chopped-up guitar riffs, grimy synth textures, and skittering percussion. The only vocals are dreamy and buried in a haze of effects, surrounded by an unending fog of samples and nervy aesthetics. The track immerses you in the chaos of the moment, painting a portrait full of fractured edges and magnetic intensity.

Crimewave says of the song, “This track is based off an aftermath of a night out, where at the end a massive fight occurred, and someone who was part of our group ended up getting punched in the face and part of their forehead splitting open. It was about 6am, the club still blaring out music, and his blood was pouring down the streets with the rain. That scene was the inspiration for the track.”

Check out the song and video below. The Altercation EP is out later this year.