Zeche, Bochum, Germany9th April 2025
She Past Away, Ductape, Sydney Valette
Join us when the legendary Dark-Wave band SHE PAST AWAY transformed the Zeche Bochum into a sonic landscape brimming with atmosphere and intensity with their dark, melancholic music! The Turkish band, known for their hypnotic beats and minimalist Post-Punk influences, has carved out a prominent place in the Gothic scene over the years. With their unique blend of nostalgic 80s sounds and modern sound design, they enchanted their audience at an unforgettable night. Supporting them was DUCTAPE, an exciting duo from Istanbul whose dark, atmospheric Post-Punk sound makes them the perfect opening act. Their powerful performance set the tone perfectly for the evening. Opener of the evening was French musician SYDNEY VALETTE. This was a night filled with Wave, Post-Punk, and dark melodies!
Sydney Valette
Parisian singer-songwriter and producer SYDNEY VALETTE took the stage short after eight. He blends a mix of genres: chip-tune-infused Electropop, EBM, Ambient, Rave, and Italo-Disco, all with a solid Pop core. Since his debut album ‘Plutôt mourir que crever’ in 2011, he’s added several albums, EPs, and singles to his discography. For his debut album he drew on his classical piano training to create chiptune-infused Electro Pop. He then took a leap into darker territory, trading 8-bit colours for minimalist Synth gloom on the EP ‘Krystall’ (2013), and with his increasingly intense releases, became a key figure in the French dark independent scene. Since then, he has released several more albums, most recently ‘Home Alone’ in 2022, which presents him at his most epic and dystopian, showcasing the full force of his talent. Sonically, Sydney moves across the entire dark wave spectrum - from EBM to Ambient, from Rave to Italo Disco - always anchored by a strong pop sensibility. https://sydneyvalette.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/sydneyvalette2
Music & Performance
A quick microphone check, a bit of fog - and SYDNEY VALETTE is off. Alone on the big stage at Zeche Bochum, yet anything but lost: the Parisian electronic artist knows exactly how to win over a crowd. From the very first beat, the front of the stage begins to fill up, heads start nodding, and feet begin to move. Behind him, visuals flicker across the video screen while he’s constantly in motion - left, right, back to the console, then up to the front edge of the stage. Valette’s powerful electro sound, paired with his cool, distinctive vocals, instantly captivates the audience. It doesn’t take long before the whole room is swaying to the rhythm. Despite performing solo, not a single moment feels empty. Full of energy, he dances and bounces across the stage while simultaneously tweaking synths and adjusting knobs - even with his back turned, he commands attention. His performance is as engaging as it is professional, leaving the crowd wanting more. After about 30 minutes, SYDNEY VALETTE leaves the stage - not without receiving the well-earned applause of a thoroughly warmed-up audience. A strong start to the evening with SHE PAST AWAY.
Ductape
This Turkish Post-Punk and Dark Wave band was founded in 2019 in Istanbul. Since 2023, the duo has been based in the Turkish capital, Ankara. They made their musical debut with the EP ‘Little Monsters’, released in 2020 completely in English. In January 2021, their first full-length album ‘Labirent’ was released on the Swiss Dark Nights label. While still rooted in Post-Punk, the album also showcases strong Dark Wave elements. The melodies are more subdued compared to ‘Little Monsters’, and the lyrics take on a more introspective tone. ‘Labirent’ also marks the band’s first use of Turkish lyrics alongside English ones. Their third album, ‘Echo Drama’, was released on February 29, 2024. This original version of ‘Echo Drama’ features five English-language and three Turkish-language tracks. From the very beginning of their career, DUCTAPE have sought out live stages and audiences, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided. Since 2021, they have performed on numerous stages across Turkey and Europe. https://www.ductape.info / https://www.facebook.com/ductapeofficial
Music & Performance
For me, this Turkish duo was the main reason to drive over to Bochum tonight. I saw a few songs of their show at last year’s NCN and they immediately caught me with their stage presence and wanted to see more. So, here was my chance! After SYDNEY VALETTE’s powerful opening set, DUCTAPE took the stage and transformed Zeche Bochum into a darkly vibrant Post-Punk paradise. The Turkish duo, made up of vocalist and synth player Çağla and multi-instrumentalist Furkan Güleray, delivered not just classic Post-Punk, but infused it with an emotional depth that was utterly captivating. With her striking voice and strong stage presence, Çağla immediately won over the crowd. She jumped, danced, and whirled across the stage, radiating a boundless energy that quickly spread through the entire venue. With charm and charisma, she built a real connection to the audience - who celebrated her and Furkan with enthusiasm.
Behind them, the screen flickered with moving images of the band’s logo - a stylish visual that perfectly complemented the driving music. The sound was powerful and hypnotic, the melodies gripping. Songs like ‘Veil of Lies’ gave the audience chills and confirmed DUCTAPE’s place as one of the most exciting acts in today’s Dark Wave / Post-Punk scene. At the end, Furkan added a dramatic exclamation point: he dropped his guitar, part of it flying into the crowd - only to be promptly and cheerfully returned to the stage. The audience was thrilled and gave DUCTAPE a roaring send-off. A performance that hit not only the ears but the heart - a definite highlight of an already impressive concert evening. I am already looking forward seeing them again supporting IAMX at their upcoming tour.
She Past Away
The band was formed in 2006 by Volkan Caner and İdris Akbulut, both of whom had previously been involved in various lesser-known music projects. According to Akbulut, those earlier endeavours ranged in style “from Death Metal to Indie Rock.” The decision to write and perform songs in Turkish came with the formation of SHE PAST AWAY and marked a new artistic direction for the duo. The band soon relocated to the nearby metropolis of Istanbul, where they signed with Remoov Records. One of the label’s co-founders, Doruk Ozturkcan, initially joined as a live musician before eventually becoming a full-fledged member of the band, which performed as a duo after Akbulut left the band. In 2010, SHE PAST AWAY released their first EP, ‘Kasvetli Kutlama’, followed by their debut album ‘Belirdi Gece’ in 2013, and their second album ‘Narin Yalnızlık’ in 2015. Over time, the band’s early Post-Punk and electronic sound evolved - gravitating toward a darker, disco-infused aesthetic that culminated in their third and most recent album, ‘Disko Anksiyete’, released in 2019. https://shepastaway.org / https://www.facebook.com/shepastaway
Music & Performance
When the final stage setup was completed, darkness fell - not only in sound but in visuals, too. The stage at Zeche Bochum disappeared into thick fog, bathed in deep blue, violet, and red lighting. Behind the musicians, SHE PAST AWAY’s iconic band logo flickered across the screen - a hypnotic anchor in an otherwise minimalistic, almost ghostly scene. This eerie atmosphere was essential to truly experience SHE PAST AWAY’s art - not just to hear it, but to be completely immersed in it. Even before the show began, the venue was already well filled - a clear sign of how alive and in demand the Post-Punk scene is today. Particularly striking was the number of younger attendees breathing new life into the crowd. Alongside elegantly dressed goths - especially the women, who had clearly gone all out - the diverse audience created a buzzing anticipation for the night’s headliner.
As ‘Durdu Dünya’ opened the set, it became immediately clear: past and present were meeting right here. Volkan Caner and Doruk Öztürkcan delivered a sound that felt both retro and postmodern. Caner’s deep, shadowy vocals floated over driving electronic rhythms, while Öztürkcan played the synths and drum pads with visible joy and energy. One standout moment was his surprising vocal performance on the club classic ‘Ritüel’, giving the track an unexpected new dimension. Tracks like ‘Disko Anksiyete’, ‘İzole’, and ‘Katarsis’ evoked the pulsing grooves of 1980s New Wave, but Caner’s ominous vocals and the haunting minor key chords rooted the duo firmly in the Dark Wave / Post-Punk tradition. The Turkish lyrics posed no barrier at all - quite the opposite. The sound of the language and the trance-like structure of the songs had a meditative quality that drew the audience in completely.
The setlist blended select songs from their still-relevant album ‘Disko Anksiyete’ with tried-and-true classics from the band’s history - including ‘Asimilasyon’, ‘Kasvetli Kutlama’, and ‘İnsanlar’. The encore brought three more songs: ‘Bozbulanık’, ‘Monoton’, and ‘Hayaller?’, encouraging everyone to dance and dream once more. A concert that wasn’t loud, but all the more intense for it - a night to remember, cloaking Zeche Bochum in an emotionally charged haze. SHE PAST AWAY remains a shining constant in the Post-Punk firmament.
Setlist
01. Durdu Dünya
02. Katarsis
03. Disko Anksiyete
04. Asimilasyon
05. Ritüel
06. Inziva
07. İzole
08. Ruh
09. Sessiz Orman
10. Kasvetli Kutlama
11. İnsanlar
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12. Bozbulanık
13. Monoton
14. Hayaller?
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
