It is time once again to pull out the red carpet for Energy Whores, that one-of-a-kind duo from New York City that has learned to craft a kind of dance music that will make even the most hardened clubber feel as if he is experiencing his final hours in an apocalyptic world. You know if you’ve ever been around them that Energy Whores are craftsmen of the unique brand of “dystopian dance music with teeth”—the kind of music that rattles the soul and shakes the body into submission. We have already experienced the baptism by fire of songs like “Bunker Man,” a scathing condemnation of the narcissistic excesses of the super-rich in the face of impending disaster. We have already picked apart the cold brilliance of “Electric Friends,” their exploration of the superficial nature of our technological connections, and the incredible sound structure of the “Arsenal Of Democracy” EP. It’s time to throw open the doors and explore the nitty-gritty of their newest infatuation, “Planet B,” released on 29th April,  and find out just what kind of glorious mayhem they have in mind.

The song comes into being with the sheer force of its primal thud of a beat that gets wired right into your nervous system with the support of a bassline so heavy and complex that you feel its vibrations in your very floorboards. However, the real hook that transforms the song’s potential into an undeniable certainty arrives with the vocal part. Something is compelling about the vocal performance that leaves no doubt in your mind that you’re witnessing the birth of something extraordinary. The hook takes hold of you and won’t let go until you’re breathless with the anticipation of where the ride will lead you.

“Planet B,” in contrast, comes through not as a subtle push but as a raw emotional eruption of anger and fear, and, above all, of an absolutely gut-wrenching disbelief in our society’s unwillingness to confront the climate emergency. “Planet B” is a musical condemnation of one of the biggest illusions of our time: the frantic, selfish illusion of fleeing Earth to live amidst the red dust of Mars. In Energy Whores, there is a stripping away of the cluttered distractions that reveals a simple but horrific reality: that the sanctuary that we have that allows us to survive is the very thing that we are destroying right now. This piece of music acts like an alarm bell ringing out to wake people from their apathetic slumber in a fast and urgent way. The track does not lecture or tell us that we need to become something or another, but it tells us to look at the reality of what is happening around us and accept it as our own reality and not some myth. We need to stop looking at ways to protect ourselves or making contingency plans and wake up to protect our only home.

On the musical side of things, the project has sought to produce something that is not only visually breathtaking but also incredibly immersive, without compromising the melodious nature of the track in favor of its increasingly important message. They have expertly combined the angularity of art rock, the frenzied beats of electronic music, and the vast sonic atmospheres of sound design into what can only be termed “avant-electro.” It is a genre-blurring combination that turns the dance floor into a laboratory where irrepressible rhythm meets cerebral themes. They know how to turn the apocalypse into something scary yet mesmerizing, forcing your body into movement while your brain is being forced to deal with the grim realities of the story surrounding you.

And here, we have reached the crux of their creation process: their unwavering intentionality. For Energy Whores, it’s not about creating music alone but curating a world. The artwork for “Planet B,” in particular, showcases how they craft their world using vivid imagery: it shows a lone figure wearing a cold space suit, sitting in a chair, and looking out into an empty alien terrain. The scarlet color of the terrain leaves no room for doubt that it is Mars, which is a grim picture of what could be our future should we choose to escape and neglect to preserve it. By attaching their piece to such an illustration, they provide an ideal visual representation of their point, bringing an abstract concern to a concrete existence. It is a beautiful and tasteful fusion of image and sound that nobody else could have done as well. They keep proving that they are miles away from everyone else by making sure that everything they create serves an ultimate purpose.

I don’t know about you readers, but I haven’t been invited to the luxury bunker, nor do I have a ticket for the first shuttle to Mars; it is quite safe to say that I’m wide awake and listening. This is no ordinary song that will be added to my playlist, but an important message from the future, a siren’s call which should be taken with utmost seriousness. Energy Whores have always had the rare virtue of integrity; they have never treated their stage casually, and when they have our attention, they make sure they utilize every single second to tell us what needs to be told. They are our collective conscience in a music that is impossible to ignore. Thank you so much to this band for the important wake-up call in the form of such electrifying music. I’m more than excited to see what happens next from this incredible band.

Stream “Planet B” on Spotify

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