The Soft Moon – Exister

"This record was about sharing all the emotions I feel," says Luis Vasquez of The Soft Moon. "No two songs are the same. It's about existing as a human being in the world and having many emotions and experiences throughout life." Hence the title "Exister," an album about the ecstatic joys and crippling lows that life can bring, and how sometimes persevering and existing is all we have. "Exister is my way of saying `I'm here, deal with it,'" Vasquez says.

Sonically, this expression is expansive, expansive and strong. The opening `Sad Song', which unfolds in a dense, brooding atmosphere, is almost described by Vasquez as a ballad, while tracks like `The Pit' occupy the other end of the musical spectrum, exploding as a thunderous piece of industrial techno with startling bass levels. "Monster" - a song describing the metamorphosis of a human into an unrecognizable and destructive being - seamlessly combines a deeply melodic, almost electro-pop vocal melody with a slowly building atmosphere to create something equally beautiful and unsettling. "Become the Lies" explores the devastating consequences of being lied to by your own family, and is a post-punk stomper that explosively combines stormy bass lines, pounding drums and twisting guitars. Elsewhere, the album traverses everything from ambient to dark wave - with heavy guest contributions from Fish Narc and Special Interest's Alli Logot on `Him' and `Unforgiven' - while retaining The Soft Moon's distinctive sound.