Few people would expect to find such a highly regarded part of the gothic scene in such a place as Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. But then again, not many would have expected places such as Northampton and Stevenage to be the breeding ground of similarly iconic bands, namely Bauhaus and Fields of the Nephilim, respectively. It shows you that, like books and their covers, you should never judge a band by its postcode. And I should know: I’m writing this sitting in Swindon with an XTC poster looming over my left shoulder.
History of Guns was a big part of the early 00s UK industrial/gothic scene before going on hiatus over a decade ago. Half Light is their second long-player since returning to the sonic fray; however, its roots go back a further decade and a half.
It is a collection of songs that sit on the interface between dance and darkwave, clinical gothic vibes and futuristic electronica, between the past and the future, the what was and the what might yet be. Opening with their current single, “No Longer Earthbound”, a musing on where humanity’s future lies as we stare into the abyss of space, it is an album full of digital tones and analogue textures, smooth ambient electro-scapes, and clubland grooves. Dark and…well, even more dark.
There are songs like “When You Don’t Matter” that seem to crawl towards the listener like a looming shadow, and then there are tracks that are all about the groove, such as “Arcadia”. Between these two extremes, their music ebbs and flows with understated precision.
Gothic music has always been found in the most unlikely places, but who would have banked on such an essential alternative band hailing from a town whose most famous son, up until now, is Cliff Richard? Well, me, for one.
Half Light album order
When You Don’t Matter
Spotify
No Longer Earthbound
Spotify
Apple Music
