The Until Death festival in Denver, Colorado pulled together some of the biggest and most promising acts in the modern post-industrial landscape and let them all run amok for two and a half sweltering August days of debauchery, oil, steel, and rhythm . Fans from all over not just the United States, but the world, flocked to witness what was sure to be yet another event that would put Denver on the map. The festivities kicked off that Friday with a special night at Vendetta’s signature event, Deathwish. The theme for the night was Angels and Demons, and the crowd did not disappoint; like Dante walking into the proverbial inferno, walking into the venue was like entering a lucid dream, a Blake-like vision of purgatory where celestial bodies cavorted with malignant wraiths.


I always get excited for Deathwish, because the energy is so high and always carries an almost surreal air. Seeing everyone dressed to impress and decked out, combined with the powerhouse beats the DJs were pumping out of the PA, is something very difficult to describe to someone who has never attended- those who come to dance, those who come to just watch, are just as much a part of the spectacle. Deathwish is like a labyrinth to get lost in, an exotic maze powered by alcohol, camaraderie, and das oontz, awash in red, green, and blue. The venue, Tracks, has a fantastic sound system and is 360 degrees of wall-to-wall élan. In the midst of wandering, it was great to meet new friends and catch up with old comrades. There was much networking to be done as well, introducing myself and label to several people (thanks Darkwave Sarah!) and also chatted briefly with Laura from the label Radio-Active Music, a fellow label now based in Colorado. I also had the chance to chat with several of the performers who would take the stage over the weekend, including Joost from Mono-Amine, Taury from Dead Hand Projekt, Chris from Wiretrap, and several others. There was a sense of urgency and excitement for what was to come, all the artists, DJs, and vendors were very happy to be there and if Friday was any indication, this weekend was going to be unbelievable. Soon it was time to retreat from this marriage of the paradisiacal and stygian into Heaven’s Lounge, which is a side-room of Tracks.


In Heaven’s Lounge, there were three bands playing: Fractured Transmission, Sinsect, and Endif.; all fell within varying degrees of the spectrum of rhythmic noise and power electronics. Although we arrived too late for Fractured Transmission’s set, we got there just in time for Sinsect to take the stage. The majority of the set consisted of songs off Bug Life (Crunch Pod records), and James Ashley’s brand of aggressive, hard-hitting drum and bass-infused powernoise kept the audience in a daze, and the gritty metallic crunch shook the floor. This was my second time seeing Sinsect (the first time back in February at the Terrorbyte festival in Austin,TX), and I have to say this performance was even better; it was a fitting spectacle from a project Eric of Cryogen Second once tongue-in-cheek branded the “Foghat of powernoise.”


Soon, it was time for Jason Hollis’ glitch/experimental/noise act Endif. The harsh noise structures mixed with the experimental soundscapes and Hollis’ technical acumen held everyone simultaneously dazed and dancing frantically – with a setlist that had a healthy offering of old favorites like ‘Crack Pipe’ and several tracks from the ‘Carbon’album (Tympanik Audio), Endif kept the few die-hards up front bobbing heads, flailing arms, and stomping militant industrial boots to metal rhythm and acidic sounds that cut like a buzzsaw. After Endif, I wandered back into Tracks main room, where guest DJ Sebastian Komor was tearing up the dance floor with his aggressive, yet pneumatic offerings- he even threw in a few futurepop classics for the die-hards. When ‘Deep Red’ by Apoptygma Berzerk hit those speakers, the whole room became one kinetic exercise in pure energy. Switching off with Dave Vendetta, the big beat kept the crowd mesmerized and the Deathwish dancers giving their all, transitioning effortlessly number after number; Tracks became a blur of angelic wings dipped in blood, hellions bathed in heavenly lux – a debauched morality play simultaneously a portrait of the heavenly and abaddon- an ascension of the profane, if you will.


The partying went on until 2 in the morning, and then it was over, time to head home. Goodbyes were said, thanks were given, and we headed home to prepare for the non-stop musical nirvana of Saturday and Sunday. As we were to learn very soon, Friday was but a prelude, and the best was still to come.