Gleis 22, Münster, Germany26th May 2026
Ist Ist & Optik SW
On a day that probably screamed beer garden more than sweaty Post-Punk club night, heading into the legendary Gleis 22 almost felt slightly absurd. Blue skies, blazing sunshine and temperatures somewhere around 30 degrees - not exactly the weather you’d normally associate with dark basslines and moody synths.
But none of that mattered once the doors opened. The place was absolutely packed, with only a handful of tickets left, and the atmosphere already buzzing long before the first band hit the stage. After still being at the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig the day before, the trip to Münster felt like a completely different world: smaller, sweatier, more intimate. And honestly, that suited the evening perfectly.
Optik SW
Opening the night were local Post-Punk newcomers OPTIK SW, who somehow managed to squeeze themselves onto a stage that was already overflowing with gear from both bands. At times it looked like there was barely enough room for them to stand, never mind actually move around. Still, the young Münster band made the absolute most of it.
Their sound sits somewhere between classic Coldwave melancholy and the newer German Indie / Post-Punk wave currently pushed by artists like BETTEROV and EDWIN ROSEN. Monotonous but melodic basslines, emotional synths and driving drums created that beautifully gloomy atmosphere that instantly pulls you in, while the guitars and vocals added enough urgency to stop things becoming too dreamy.
What made them especially likeable was how genuinely young and hungry they seemed. There’s always something refreshing about seeing local bands get opportunities like this, and credit absolutely has to go to Gleis 22 for continuing to support emerging artists from the area. Considering OPTIK SW had already appeared at Münster’s Tanz der Vampire Festival before this, they clearly seem to be building momentum.
Tracks like ‘Koffein’, ‘Vorstadtromantik’ and ‘Novemberregen’ went down particularly well, while ‘Tanzt’ and ‘Drug’ added a bit more punch later in the set. Despite the cramped conditions, the band delivered a confident and surprisingly mature performance.
https://optiksw.bandcamp.com / https://www.instagram.com/optik.sw
Setlist
01. Koffein
02. Vorstadtromantik
03. Ordinary Kind
04. Novemberregen
05. Interlude
06. Der Mann
07. Tanzt
08. Drug
09. Verse & Zeilen
Ist Ist
After celebrating their tenth anniversary in 2025, IST IST returned to Germany in 2026 with their new album ‘Dagger’, performing several concerts across the country. ‘Dagger’ was released on Friday, 6 February 2026 and marks the fifth full-length studio album by the Manchester band. It follows their 2024 release ‘Light A Bigger Fire’, which came out in September of that year.
Speaking about the album, IST IST say: “We started working on the album as soon as we got back from the European tour in late 2024. The momentum you carry from a tour into the studio is powerful and you’re still in that live headspace, so the music you write in those moments tends to be more visceral. You go with the flow a little bit more rather than it being methodical. What you end up with is a collection of songs already primed for the stage.” https://www.ististmusic.com / https://www.facebook.com/ististmusic
Music & Performance
Before IST IST could enter the stage came the slightly chaotic changeover. Because there was basically no room anywhere, OPTIK SW’s equipment had to be carried right through the audience and out via the emergency exit and fire escape. It looked stressful, awkward and mildly dangerous - but somehow everything still ran incredibly smoothly. Right on time at 9pm, IST IST walked onto the stage and instantly transformed the room.
For the next around ninety minutes, Gleis 22 turned into exactly the kind of dark, euphoric Post-Punk sweatbox you hope for when seeing a band like IST IST in a venue this size. The band themselves even seemed slightly amused by how intimate the setting was - they probably haven’t played many clubs this small in quite a while.
Musically, IST IST continue to occupy that sweet spot between Post-Punk, Darkwave and Indie Rock without ever sounding like a lazy nostalgia act. There are obvious echoes of bands like JOY DIVISION or EDITORS in places, but IST IST have their own identity: hypnotic bass lines, sharp guitars, huge emotional build-ups and Adam Houghton’s distinctive vocals sitting somewhere between restraint and desperation.
The setlist was brilliantly paced too. ‘Encouragement’ opened things with immediate intensity before ‘Lost My Shadow’ and ‘The Kiss’ deepened the atmosphere even further. ‘Warning Signs’ and ‘Burning’ brought heavier energy, while “Black” sounded absolutely massive in such a confined room. Despite the heat, the crowd never really stopped moving. Especially in the front third of the venue, people were dancing, jumping and completely losing themselves in the music. Further back, where surviving the temperature probably became the main priority, people mostly swayed along with drinks in hand, drenched but smiling.
‘A New Love Song’ and ‘Emily’ provided some of the evening’s most emotional moments, while ‘Something Has To Give’ and ‘Preacher’s Warning’ carried that trademark IST IST tension - cold and mechanical on the surface but strangely emotional underneath. By the time ‘Fat Cats Drown In Milk’ arrived, the room felt absolutely feral in the best possible way. Then came the stunning run of ‘Repercussions’, ‘I Remember Everything’, ‘Hope to Love Again’ and ‘You’re Mine’, which somehow managed to feel both euphoric and melancholic at the same time.
Of course, nobody was leaving without an encore. ‘I Am the Fear’ hit like a final release of energy before ‘Stamp You Out’ closed the night perfectly: loud, intense and impossible not to move to. By the end, everyone looked exhausted, overheated and completely happy about it. Exactly how a great IST IST club show should feel.
Setlist
01. Encouragement
02. Lost My Shadow
03. The Kiss
04. Warning Signs
05. Burning
06. Black
07. The Echo
08. Makes No Difference
09. What I Know
10. A New Love Song
11. Emily
12. Something Has to Give
13. Preacher’s Warning
14. Silence
15. Night’s Arm
16. Fat Cats Drown in Milk
17. Repercussions
18. I Remember Everything
19. Hope to Love Again
20. You’re Mine
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21. I Am the Fear
22. Stamp You Out
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
