Paisley Heart & n3 weaponise rave as resistance in their dark techno juggernaut, War Outside –

The mechanical volition of industrial pop thrashes against dark techno in War Outside, a harbingering anthem born from the collaboration between Paisley Heart and n3. With the socially aware conviction of Atari Teenage Riot, the progression-rich release toys with rhythmic pulses as it flows through a myriad of stylistic shifts instead of simply ushering listeners through the usual build-ups and drops.

What takes shape is a juggernaut of a vignette that viscerally encapsulates the dissonance of feeling your body beat in sync with the music while knowing the doomsday clock is inching closer to midnight — and that hand is moving even faster for marginalised groups.

If the likes of Grendel, God Module and Suicide Commando already stalk your playlists, make space for Paisley Heart as he amplifies the voices of the disenfranchised until they’re impossible to tune out. Written in response to rising right-wing politics, the devastation in Palestine, and the daily attacks on queer and trans lives, War Outside reframes the rave as both protest and sanctuary. Beyond the studio, Paisley Heart has taken the message to the streets with signs, microphones and flags, embodying the track’s defiant vision: that the dancefloor isn’t just a place for release, it’s a space reclaimed by those fighting for survival. It’s where rage becomes rhythm, and collective resistance pulses harder than the kick drum.

Through sheer sonic intent, War Outside turns music into protest and protest into art, refusing to let the noise fade into the background.

War Outside is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast