Synapse is one of Denver’s best-kept secrets. This futurepop super group (made up of veteran musicians from bands like Electrophile, Machinegun Symphony, and Die Brueke) makes irresistibly catchy electronic music with introspective, personal lyrics. Synapse is a band I’ve had my eye on since I first saw them at an Austin festival called Terrorbyte back in February (only their third show). Whispers, a neighborhood bar and grill, is a place the band plays once in a blue moon, a more intimate setting overall than the packed shows @ Milk Bar and The Shelter they usually play- I imagine once the band becomes staple in the dark scene, Whispers will be the place they return to play “secret gigs.”

Kicking off the night was Faces Under the Mirror. This project, fronted by DJ FaceHaven, has an old school 4AD sound reminiscent of Clan of Xymox and X-Mal Deutschland, complete with a Cimmerian musical density and angsty lyrics- Despite technical problems early in the set, the show went on- the combination of retro-electronics and FaceHaven’s maudlin vocals made for a striking performance; tracks like ‘Depressing World’ and ‘Sin of the Flesh’ rumbled along in lushly textured darkwave style. The material was atmospheric and sorrowful, enmeshed in the dark pop spirit of bands like the Cure and the Banshees.

Faces Under the Mirror set list: Fly Away | Depressing World | Kiss of Night | Revenge | Emptiness | Photograph | Sin of the Flesh


Soon, it was time for Synapse to hit the stage: inspired by artists as diverse as Neuroticfish, Project Pitchfork, Information Society, and Covenant, the trio of Mark “Zero” Sousa (vocals, programming), Patrick Hogan (programming, keys), and Sarah Chenoweth (vocals, keys) have an uncanny synergy when onstage (“It’s kind of what made us get together,” Hogan explains; “…and our unhealthy gear obsession” Sousa jokes), a synergy no doubt emerging from experience as veterans of the dark music scene. This was my third time seeing the band, and although this was a decidedly more stripped down affair, the trio kept energy high and delivered a stirring electro spectacle.

Kicking off with the atmospheric, dancy stomp of ‘Signal to Noise,’ the bands’ loyal following started to sway as front man Mark Sousa took to the mic- enveloped in this atmospheric nebula, the live experience was all there was, for both performer and audience. The set list consisted of tracks from their forthcoming debut ‘Audio Visceral,’ and a pair of cleverly selected covers. Vocally, Sousa exudes an almost Eskil Simonsson air onstage, a deep, commanding voice delivering lyrics bordering between existential angst and tragedy; in Sarah Chenoweth, Sousa’s voice has found the perfect counterpart, lushly blending together over the highly melodic machine and soul of the music.


Moving into the band’s signature cover of Icon of Coil’s ‘Existence in Progress’, the band continued its sway over the crowd, who danced in frenzy. From here, the band played scorchers like ‘Storm and Shadow’ and ‘Vapor’, and my personal favorite, ‘Void.’ Sousa and Chenoweth display exceptional showmanship, but it’s all framed within the first-class playing of Patrick Hogan- make no mistake, Synapse is not laptop karaoke- Hogan’s hook-heavy Virus leads and expert programming on songs like ‘Void’ and ‘Dust and Steel’, create shivering, textured spaces for the listener to get lost in. Soon it was time for Chenoweth to stand front-and-center on stage, covering Lady GaGa’s ‘Bad Romance.’ It may seem bizarre to picture a bar full of Goths dancing maniacally to Lady GaGa, but Synapse made it happen with their electro-tinged take on the song. The band closed with the emotionally powerful ‘Memory’ and ‘Equidistant,’.


Overall, it was a wonderful night. Faces Under the Mirror’s gloomy brand of electro-cum-darkwave left a definite impression, and Synapse’s mechanical crunch did what it’s quite simply managed to do from the very beginning: kick ass. Synapse is one of those rare bands that have all the elements formed at the very beginning: stage presence, class, and-most importantly- great songs. With a full-length debut (Audio Visceral) on the way soon, something tells me Denver’s best-kept secret won’t be under wraps much longer.

Setlist: Signal to Noise | Burn | As Dust | Existence in Progress | Storm and Shadow | Pillar | Vapor | Void | Dust and Steel | Bad Romance (Lady GaGa cover) | Memory | Equidistant