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Hear Ensemble Economique’s Coldwaving, Shoegazing ‘Make-Out in the GDR’

Ensemble Economique, Make-Out in the GDR, Melt into Nothing, Denovali

Humboldt County’s Ensemble Economique (Bryan Pyle, formerly of Starving Weirdos) is a master of wooly drones, dislocated techno, and neo-coldwave dread. Now, on his new album Melt Into Nothing, he branches out into a style that might best be described as gothic shoewave. Organs, guitars, dubbed-out drum machines, and zoned-out voices swirl together into chilly, misty shapes variously reminiscent of the Cure, Arvo Pärt, Crispy Ambulance, and My Bloody Valentine. The only way it could get more atmospheric is if it were beamed back to earth from a weather balloon.

Melt into Nothing is out June 27 on Denovali and features contributions from DenMother and Opale’s Sophia Hamadi; for now, listen to the album’s spellbinding “Make-Out in the GDR” — a song we’re gonna go ahead and file under “Cold-War-wave.”