Gothic Rock / Darkwave act THE AWAKENING shares their new single and video, ‘Mirror Midnight’. The song is from the band’s self-titled 12th album, which will be released on 18 October via Intervention Arts. It can be pre-ordered here on vinyl, CD, and various limited-edition options.
South African-born songwriter and frontman Ashton Nyte created the new music video, shot in his preferred black-and-white format, with a film noir treatment. Nyte explains: “‘Mirror Midnight’ is about the obsession of the self, as guided and fed and manipulated by mass media, social media and the endless flood of information and disinformation we all deal with constantly. It’s the juxtaposition of succumbing to insidious and divisive marketing while the world goes up in flames. And how that cycle feeds itself. It’s a story almost as old as time, like the fairy tale it alludes to.”
The new album has been described as a celebration of the band’s roots and influences. Nyte adds, “Essentially, I fell in love all over again with the bands and albums that made me want to create this sort of art in the first place. It was a true joy to create this work.”
Tracklist
01. Shimmer
02. Mirror Midnight
03. Through The Veil
04. Your Vampire
05. Haunting
06. Below The Emptiness
07. See You Fall
08. Fallout
09. Sliver
10. Not Here
11. Cabaret
12. Continuum
THE AWAKENING comes after Nyte’s second book and 8th solo album, ‘Autumn’s Children’, which was selected as one of American Songwriter’s Top 17 Albums of 2023. “The last two AWAKENING albums were departures for me. ‘This Alchemy’ (2021) explored the more electronic side of my musical personality, and ‘The Passage Remains’ (2022) effectively cleared out the vaults of unreleased heavier material. It feels like time to come home,” says Nyte.
Fans can first hear the new material live in a career-spanning solo acoustic EU / UK Tour later this year. It will be Nyte’s first post-covid tour, following a 36-date EU tour with Wayne Hussey (The Mission) in 2019. Tickets are available via THE AWAKENING’s official site.
Tour Dates
28 Sep - Campus Noir Festival, Ilmenau, Germany
29 Sep - The Water Rats, London, UK
2 Oct - Fulford Arms, York, UK
3 Oct - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, UK
4 Oct - Record Junkee, Sheffield, UK
25 Oct - Kohi! Kulturraum, Karlsruhe, Germany
26 Oct - Pauluskirche, Dortmund, Germany
27 Oct - Cafe Foli-A, Retie, Belgium
1 Nov - Maria’s Ballroom, Hamburg, Germany
2 Nov - Brainstorm Festival, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands (Sold Out)
Now based in the U.S., THE AWAKENING is a dark musical project born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the late 90s as the creative expression of vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, author, actor and songwriter Ashton Nyte. THE AWAKENING’s sound has morphed and mutated over the years, incorporating elements of Gothic Rock, Darkwave, Gothic Metal, Industrial Rock, Post-punk, Electronic, New Wave, and other theatrical meanderings.
Frontman Ashton Nyte has released 8 solo albums and 2 books in addition to his work as THE AWAKENING. He has contributed vocals and lyrics to a number of other projects, featuring members of THE CURE, PETER MURPHY, THE MISSION, BEAUTY IN CHAOS and ALL ABOUT EVE, among others.
Nyte has written and performed in theatrical productions and hosted philanthropic events, including his “Rock Against Rape” concert series and presenting a lecture series at US universities focusing on tolerance and acceptance. He has had songs featured in major television shows like ‘Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin’ (HBOMax), ‘The Purge’ (USA Network), among others.
Music journalists have described Nyte as “Johannesburg’s Bowie” for his widely varying musical styles and theatrical performance approach. With a catalogue of over 300 released original songs, Ashton Nyte and THE AWAKENING have enjoyed airplay and chart success on major independent radio stations worldwide and have toured extensively and headlined music festivals in the USA, Europe, and South Africa to upwards of 30,000 people.
In 2019, Nyte worked on the score of the movie ‘Don’t Let Go’ with composer Ethan Gold, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019. He completed a 36-date European Tour with British indie artist Wayne Hussey (THE MISSION) in September / October 2019. ‘Waiting For A Voice’, his seventh solo album and first book of poetry, short stories, and personal reflections, was released in July 2020. His second book and eighth solo album, ‘Autumn’s Children’, was released in August 2023 and was named one of the Top 17 Albums of 2023 by American Songwriter. 2024 has seen Nyte contribute his voice and lyrics to the latest BEAUTY IN CHAOS album and the movie ‘Pale Horse’, directed by the late Pearry Teo. THE AWAKENING’s self-titled 12th album is set to be released on 18 October 2024.
Source: Press Release
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