Goth pop rockers GOLEM DANCE CULT have released thus far an EP, an album, including an all new album out this summer on Friday the 13th come June 2025! The band discusses his release, how their formation came forth, and promoting themselves and this all new album done just by them.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
With Laur (singer) we had actually started our musical journey together when we were teenagers... (we even toured together in our respective band and always stay friends, but eventually we had each followed our musical path...) That is, until 2021, during this strangest of times (pandemic, lockdown), we reunited for a new musical adventure under the moniker "Golem Dance Cult.
For Golem Dance Cult our main starting point was: “hey, let’s do something like an old Hammer movie directed by Dali and recoloured by Andy Warhol”.
During our very first band together Laur was the drummer and now, in addition to percussion, he is the main singer, sharing vocals duties with Charles Why, who is playing bass, guitars, cigar box, harmonica, various traditional instruments (Shamanic Drums, Shruti Box, Gong, … ), programming, sampling, while manning the production.
In Golem Dance Cult, we are joined by Klaus Karloff, a mysterious misanthrope German Shaman, who is in charge of the mastering aka "Sonic Seance".
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
The name is a tip of the hat to the myth of this man-made creature, the Golem, that protect the oppressed and at the end goes out of control.. The foreboder of Frankenstein some say... You can read a lot into that.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Half of the band is in France (Besancon) while the other is in Australia (Upwey, Victoria). Don’t know that much about Besancon but I know the rock scene is fertile Down Under. In Upwey, we have the great Dave Graney, who is a legend, the amazing singer Inga Liljestrom, the superb The Black Heart Death Cult (no relation;-) and new comer -of sort- Maggie Alley.
4. How would you describe your style?
We used to define our music as Industrial Dance Rock. However Goth Pop has been used in some reviews which is kinda relevant. The sound of Golem Dance Cult is heavy (both Laur and Charles are “sons of the mighty guitar congregation”) but danceable: a "mechanic, ritualistic groove with soul and grit". One of the main parameters being that the intention need to be kept spontaneous (favoring vibe over perfection), instinct followed and mistakes expanded upon. A rock based style without the formal structure of the genre and bringing an electronic approach in the layering of the tracks, done following a DIY ethic!
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
So far we have released an EP “Grotesque Radio” in 2021 and a long form album “Legend of the Bleeding Heart” in 2023.
You can expect the unexpected as even if we have our own “sound” we continue to evolve and to expand our creative horizon.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Yes, on Friday the 13th of June, the label Pugilat Deluxe will release our new album, “Shamanic Faultlines”, 13 tracks which will be available on vinyl (black and splatter), CDs and digital.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
The plan is to see how the album goes and plan a tour accordingly starting in Victoria, Australia this summer (December/January).
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Our main project right now is to promote our second album (long format) “Shamanic Faultlines” which will be released on vinyls, CDs and digital on Friday the 13th of June… Sharing the Strangeness around!
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
BandCamp (https://golemdancecult.bandcamp.com/), our own website www.golemdancecult.com and some “brick and mortars record shops” such as Captain Stomp Records (Ferntree Gully, Australia), Upwey Music Shop (Upwey, Australia), Fnac Forum Besancon (France). We will update our website and socials with list of record shops that will stock “Shamanic Faultlines” along the way.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
“Shamanic Faultlines”, maybe more than our other albums, has been created like a story, an audio-visual voyage. We just would like people to try experiment it with an open attitude....
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