Steps from the Cliff channelled cinematic dread into synth minimalism with SUSURROS –

Steps from the Cliff drew grandeur out of shadows and wove it into synth-pop with their latest single, SUSURROS. Released from the creative sanctum of Tim Knapp’s storm-swept Santa Cruz residence, the instrumental score unravels with the haunted elegance of an artist whose compositions go straight for the psyche’s jugular.

Grandeur isn’t often something that’s closely related with synth pop, but after Steps from the Cliff released SUSURROS, that’s all set to change. With an intro which almost feels as though Carpenter’s Halloween theme has moved into a sphere of spectrally macabre disquietness, the score unfolds and reveals Steps from the Cliff as a composer who knows exactly how to go for your psyche’s jugular. The dark, quasi-carnivalesque instrumental piece becomes the ultimate soundtrack of the kind of terror that leaves you uneasy while sating even the most ravenous desire for artistic poise.

Since forming in 2023, Tim Knapp has taken a ritualistic approach to composition, crafting his soundscapes during Californian storms, channelling the unease and awe of nature into chilling cinematic downtempo releases. With one album, four EPs, and multiple singles under his belt, he’s fast cementing his place in the darker recesses of synth-pop and darkwave. From his vantage point above West Cliff Drive, he continues to write the soundtrack to the metaphorical cliffs we all stand before.

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Review by Amelia Vandergast