Brewing in the Australian underground in the second half of the 2010s, Kollaps have been an absolute terror with their post-industrial machination. Merging the post-punk ethos with the overwhelming characteristic of the noise scene and the cold, detached repetition of industrial music, the trio first unleashed pure hell with their debut full-length, The Sibling Lovers. An even grimmer offering followed this vulgar punch in 2019’s Mechanical Christ. The electronic component became more prevalent, with Kollaps unearthing the Cold Meat Industry spirit and projecting it through an Einstürzende Neubauten lens.
The return with Until the Day I Die sees them take even more extreme measures. Infatuated by William S. Burroughs’ cut-up technique, Kollaps present a work of dystopian decadence. To that end, grates and hoists are employed alongside musique concrete-inspired field recordings. Every edge, sharp as ever, and Kollaps are now outdoing themselves with a DIY ethic behind the new album’s production, which was recorded at the self-constructed ILoveHeroin Studios, built above a sculpture museum in Lugano, Switzerland. In addition to James Plotkin of Khanate fame in charge of the mastering and Nullvoid (Thomas Ekelund/Trepaneringsritualen) putting the final touches with incredible artwork, Until the Day I Die is a formidable work of art.
We are proud to present the video for “I Believe in the Closed Fist”, one of the most punishing tracks from Until the Day I Die. Shot in multiple locations, including Lugano, Milan, and Wroclaw by Wade Black, and mixed with footage sourced from various mediums, it showcases the dark and fiendish vision of Kollaps perfectly. Extra kudos for the concept of taking the digital footage, placing it on a project, re-filming, and re-digitizing it to create this VHS quality.
Black offers some insight into the song and video: “I Believe in the Closed Fist” was one of the earlier tracks written for the record, and it is a track that I think is one of the strongest that we’ve presented. I had the intention of making a swift departure from Kollaps’ earlier, more static material. The intent behind the video for “I Believe in the Closed Fist” was to portray the madness of Western civilization and the broader world we inhabit and coming to terms with that.
“I had an urge to share my contradicting ideas of life, sexuality, and religion and using the contrast of this with everyday mundane activities – such as having dinner with friends. Much of the footage, both that was applied, and that which was left unused was horrific beyond my initial intention and at times even my imagining. After having spent countless hours over the period of several months trawling through the relentless hideousness of the internet and making painstakingly short edits, I finally felt that upon the completion of the video that I had reached a pinnacle in my disgust for humanity and our collective failure to function in a dignified manner.”
Until the Day I Die will be released by Cold Spring Records on LP, CD, and digital formats on June 24th. Find preorders where “Relapse Theatre” is streaming at the label webshop, Bandcamp, and other digital providers.
