Offworld Narcotics and Shedfromthebody were the catalysts of a darkwave trip-hop supernova with ‘Howl’ –

You’ve never truly gone aurally interstellar until you’ve succumbed to the darkwave trip-hop decadence that refracts through Howl, a caustically ethereal collaboration between Offworld Narcotics and Shedfromthebody. Led by New Jersey multi-instrumentalist Bryan Drummond, with William Fyke on production, synth and keys, and Brandon Bera adding drums, Offworld Narcotics have channelled the gravitational pull of Massive Attack and Portishead into something cosmically arcane.

Shirley Manson-esque vocals smoulder and spiritually stretch around the synapse-twisting synthesis of shoegaze walls of sound, post-punk guitars and an industrial-electronica rhythm section that gives the single the kinetic force of a juggernaut in space in berserk mode. The drums hit with violent discipline, the bass detonates with black-hole weight, and the guitars flare like emergency signals caught in a dream sequence.

After the sold-out Berlin Under A debut, WFMU support for Mariana, Amazing Radio rotation and Post-Punk.com attention, Howl is only going to pour fuel on the fire of Offworld Narcotic’s deserved momentum.

The way they pulled the single together with the perfect tension, keeping the seductive siren-like vocals in a magnetic hold as the instrumentals go full supernova-goes-pop, speaks to their real potential at the vanguard of this century’s trip-hop movement. Howl stirs the innermost primal parts of you and leaves a scorch mark on the nervous system. Feel the burn and hit play on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast