Die Trompete, Bochum, Germany8th November 2025
Obsidian Echoes Warm Up with Forever Grey, Abu Nein and Isla Ola
As a prelude to the upcoming Obsidian Echoes Festival at the end of November, Bochum’s Club Die Trompete hosted an intimate warm-up evening featuring ISLA OLA, ABU NEIN, and FOREVER GREY. Dark sounds, dreamy melodies and pulsing beats - the perfect way to ease into those long autumn nights.
Tucked away in the basement of the club, the venue offered a perfectly confined atmosphere for an evening devoted to dark synths, haunting vocals, and Post-Wave melancholy. With barely enough space to move and the stage within arm’s reach, it felt less like a concert and more like being absorbed into the sound itself.
Isla Ola
Opening the night were Dortmund’s own ISLA OLA, setting the tone with their atmospheric blend of Electronic and Wave elements. The motto seemed to be the darker, the better and mysterious - only dim blue light and heavy fog filled the room, rendering the band almost invisible. Yet, what truly mattered was the sound: Jesmari’s deep, resonant voice cut through the haze and straight to the bone, carrying an intensity that matched the visual obscurity. It was an ethereal start, mysterious and enveloping. https://www.facebook.com/IslaOla
Abu Nein
Next up were ABU NEIN from Sweden, masters of hypnotic synths and cool, detached melancholy. Their set shimmered with an icy elegance; the kind that makes Darkwave danceable. Towards the end, the mood turned delightfully human: singer Erica invited Sam Kubiak from FOREVER GREY, on stage for a surprise birthday moment. The crowd joined in a spontaneous “Happy Birthday,” a rare and charming break in an otherwise beautifully sombre atmosphere. https://www.facebook.com/p/ABU-NEIN-100063707343343/
Forever Grey
Closing the night were FOREVER GREY, all the way from the United States. Their sound, a lush blend of Darkwave and Coldwave, brought to mind THE CURE and SHE PAST AWAY, yet carried its own sense of vast, desolate beauty. Reverb-laden guitars, echoing vocals, and brooding bass lines filled the low-ceilinged space with waves of emotion. It was a performance both intimate and immense - a fitting crescendo to an evening steeped in shadows and synths. https://www.facebook.com/forevergreyband/
In the end, this Obsidian Echoes Warm-Up was everything a darkwave night should be: dim lights, fog-drenched mystery, emotional depth, and a sense of shared connection in a small, beating room. If this night was any indication, the main festival later this month will be one to remember.
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
