Live Review: Twin Tribes - Hamburg 2024

Hafenklang, Hamburg, Germany
17th November 2024
Twin Tribes - “Pendulum Euro Tour” 2024 - Support: Soft Vein

It was a super rainy Sunday evening in Hamburg, with strong winds whipping through the port and an ominous grey sky looming over the city. The kind of weather that invites staying in, wrapped in a blanket with a warm drink. But how could anyone miss the long-awaited arrival of TWIN TRIBES?

For me, this was not just another gig - it was the chance to finally experience my personal Darkwave favourites live. Ever since the isolated days of the pandemic, when we had several funny online interviews with the guys on Instagram, and their songs were rapidly gaining popularity. Now, standing outside the Hafenklang club, rain dripping from my coat, I couldn’t be more thrilled to step into the sold-out venue and witness the magic in person.



Hailing from Texas, TWIN TRIBES have become a dominant force in the Darkwave and Post-Punk revival scenes. Since their 2018 debut, ‘Shadows’, with its haunting melodies and themes of the undead and the occult, the band has consistently pushed their craft to new heights. By 2020, ‘Ceremony’ solidified their standing, blending love and loss into an evocative, mature soundscape. Now, with the release of Pendulum in January 2024, Luis Navarro and Joel Niño, Jr. have further refined their signature mix of gothic romanticism and emotional depth. The evidence of their growing prowess are numerous sold-outs for this European tour, and Hamburg’s Hafenklang was no exception. Packed to capacity, the intimate venue buzzed with anticipation, its cozy walls providing the perfect backdrop for the band’s atmospheric sound. Against the stormy backdrop of the city, the night promised to be a powerful convergence of moody music and raw emotion - a journey through the shadows led by TWIN TRIBES themselves.




Soft Vein

SOFT VEIN is the solo project of California-based musician Justin Chamberlain, known for his work with HARSH SYMMETRY. Emerging in late 2022, SOFT VEIN blends Industrial, Darkwave, and Electronic elements to craft music that delves into themes of lust, love, and the human condition. The debut album, ‘Pressed in Glass’, released in October 2023, showcases this unique fusion, offering a sound that is both cold and industrial yet brooding and romantic. The album was mixed and mastered by Ewan Alastair Kay, recognized for his work with KONTRAVOID and other electronic artists. https://www.softvein.net / https://softvein.bandcamp.com



Music & Performance
As the lights dimmed and the crowd at Hafenklang buzzed with anticipation for the main act, SOFT VEIN took the stage as the opening act, immediately commanding attention with his magnetic presence. Justin Chamberlain, the creative force behind SOFT VEIN, brought his Darkwave sound to life with a setlist that showcased tracks from his 2023 debut album, ‘Pressed in Glass’. The audience was drawn in from the opening beats of ‘Violentia’, a track pulsating with raw energy and emotional depth. SOFT VEIN’s music is a compelling fusion of Industrial, Electronic, and Darkwave elements, delivered with an intensity that feels both urgent and deeply personal. Tracks like ‘Giveuptheghost’ and ‘Bloodletting’ filled the room with a haunting resonance, each note underscored by minimalist drum machines and metallic synthetic percussion. His signature synth basslines rumbled like a heartbeat through the venue, creating a hypnotic atmosphere. On stage, Chamberlain was a force of brooding charisma. With his evocative vocals, he wove stories of lust, love, and vulnerability that struck a chord with the audience.



‘Empty rooms’ brought a particularly poignant moment, its melancholic yet gripping soundscape filling the space with a feeling of longing and introspection. The visual experience was just as captivating as the music itself. Atmospheric lighting, oscillating between stark brightness and shadowy darkness, amplified the emotional weight of each song. The intensity of the performance had the crowd transfixed - some swayed to the rhythm, while others stood motionless, mesmerized by the immersive sound and Justin’s commanding stage presence. SOFT VEIN’s performance was the perfect prelude to the evening’s main act, setting a mood that was both electrifying and introspective. By the time his set concluded, the crowd was primed for what was to come, but many were left with a lingering impression of his deeply resonant and darkly romantic sound. SOFT VEIN may have been the supporting act, but his impact on the evening was undeniable.

Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Light: 7
Sound: 8
Total: 7.5 / 10

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Twin Tribes

TWIN TRIBES is an American Darkwave duo formed in 2017 in Brownsville, Texas, by Luis Navarro and Joel Niño, Jr. Their music blends elements of Post-Punk, Gothic Rock, and Synth-Pop, drawing inspiration from 1980s bands like THE CURE and DEPECHE MODE. They have released several albums, including ‘Shadows’ (2018), ‘Ceremony’ (2019), and ‘Pendulum’ (2024), each showcasing their evolution in the darkwave genre. Their lyrics often explore themes of the occult, parallel universes, and the undead, delivered through ethereal sounds and melancholic vocals. https://www.twin-tribes.com / twintribes.bandcamp.com / https://www.youtube.com/twintribes



Music & Performance
The stage lights dimmed, and a hush fell over Hamburg’s Hafenklang club, thick with anticipation. Finally, the evening’s headliners, TWIN TRIBES, emerged from the shadows, clad in striking Art Nouveau-inspired black stage costumes, their make-up accentuating an otherworldly elegance. The packed venue erupted in applause as Luis Navarro and Joel Niño, Jr. took their places, their commanding presence setting the tone for the night. The opening notes of ‘Absolute’ - a standout track from their 2024 album ‘Pendulum’ - immediately plunged the audience into the rich, immersive world of TWIN TRIBES. Its pulsing beat and layered synthesizers created an electrifying atmosphere, seamlessly transitioning into ‘Another Life’, which continued the energy with its introspective yet dynamic rhythms. From the same album, ‘Perdidos’ brought a haunting melody, weaving Spanish lyrics into an evocative tapestry of longing and mystery.



The tone shifted to a darker, more ethereal plane with ‘Portal to the Void’, one of their earlier tracks from ‘Shadows’. The song’s moody synthesizers and lyrics about the unknown evoked a palpable sense of unease and wonder. The hypnotic ‘Heart & Feather’ from ‘Ceremony’ followed, offering a melancholic yet soaring exploration of love and loss, its shimmering instrumentation embracing the crowd like a bittersweet memory. By the time they launched into ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Upir’, TWIN TRIBES had the audience under their spell. The interplay of Gothic textures and pulsating beats created a hypnotic effect, matched by the crowd’s uninhibited dancing and singing. While fans gave themselves over to the music, I was busy capturing atmospheric photos, each shot infused with the raw energy of the night. The mid-set brought heavier, brooding pieces like ‘Paradox’ and ‘Cauldron of Thorns’, both imbued with occult imagery and driving basslines that resonated deep within the chest. ‘Sangre de Oro’ turned up the intensity, its rhythmic power nearly overwhelming in the best way possible. ‘The River’, with its melodic longing and lush soundscapes, provided a moment of introspection amidst the dark euphoria.



As the set neared its conclusion, ‘Still in Still’ and ‘Monolith’ showcased the band’s signature ability to balance emotional weight with irresistible rhythms. A surprise cover of Asylum Party’s ‘Play Alone’ paid homage to their post-punk roots, sending waves of nostalgia through the crowd. For the encore, TWIN TRIBES delivered two fan favourites. The haunting title track of their debut album, ‘Shadows’, enveloped the room in its atmospheric beauty. Finally, ‘Fantasmas’, with its hauntingly romantic lyrics and cinematic sound, brought the night to an unforgettable close. TWIN TRIBES masterfully navigated their discography, from the Gothic beginnings of ‘Shadows’ to the polished, emotionally charged ‘Pendulum’. Each song was a journey into the band’s evolving world - a space where Darkwave meets the deeply personal. Their energy on stage, paired with the crowd’s unbridled enthusiasm, made for an evening that felt timeless and transcendent.



Setlist
01. Absolute
02. Another Life
03. Perdidos
04. Portal to the Void
05. Heart & Feather
06. Sanctuary
07. Upir
08. Paradox
09. Cauldron of Thorns
10. Sangre de oro
11. The River
12. Still in Still
13. Monolith
14. Play Alone (Asylum Party cover)
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15. Shadows
16. Fantasmas

Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Light: 8
Sound: 9
Total: 9.3 / 10

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All Pictures by Iryna Kalenska