For a while now, women in the Postpunk-Underground-Darkwave fields have finally carved out a long-deserved presence. The success of acts such as Kaelan Mikla, Minuit Machine, Box And The Twins and Lebanon Hanover clearly show that the long-standing male dominance has now been broken.
Brand new from Munich/Germany, YAKIMA JERA should also find their way into many ears with their first mini-album “Capture”. In a minimalistic duo line-up, they offer beautifully atmospheric Darkwave or Minimal-Coldwave, which combines wide electronic surfaces with Wave guitars and catchy female vocals. Not only value is placed on danceability - which of course is still there -, but on creating melancholic sound worlds, that also work outside of the clubs. The songs take their time to build up an arc of suspense and are therefore rarely less than 5 minutes long. That's not the only reason why it sometimes reminds a bit of Drab Majesty and similar bands.
If "Blasphemic Church" is the monumental epic for listening at home, "You" is the song for the dancefloors and "America" surely will become a live favourite. Even if the description Postpunk has been overused for some time, it is worth listening more closely here and the big bands of the genre!
Released 2023 by Young & Cold Records.
Tracks Listing:
01. Broken
02. Ruins
03. America
04. Dry Cake
05. Blasphemic Church
06. You
English