It's no wonder why artists leap from genre to genre, as reinvention becomes a necessity for survival of the fittest. Cold Cave knows this best. Born with the limitation of only having one hand, Wes Eisold has roots dating back to '90s hardcore acts like American Nightmare and Give up the Ghost and now as an '80s electronic synth act -- he's is a musical chameleon. The range between his first Cold Cave record, Love Comes Close, and his recent release, Cherish the Light Years, is vast. The interplay of lightness and darkness, the aggressive urgency, all packaged in a cascading twilight of synth. He sets the mood for an empty '80s nightclub -- when the party's over and few goth girls linger to listen to a record spinning that repeats, "You look so good on the outside".
Eisold has been laying his synth beats down wherever he goes, among other places, on a recent Belle and Sebastien remix for "I Didn't See It Coming" that's been hyped on blogs everywhere. His brooding summer mix tape posted on his Tumblr is another. Whatever Cold Cave crafts, it's sure to include some thunderous, droned-out bass; sparkling synth; with a guitar paying homage to '80s UK electro, all the whie maintaing a modern DIY feel. It's a formula that has certainly worked -- the band has recently come off a tour with the Kills, including stints at Coachella and Pitchfork Music Fest. Cold Cave has always been a representation of love for Eisold, as he recently explained to NY Mag: "The idea of love versus the practicality of it, the dream of love as heaven that spoiled us as children."
You can wear your sunglasses at night for Cold Cave's upcoming Casbah show on July 26, with Austra providing support.
Nada Alic runs the San Diego-based music blog Friends With Both Arms and works in artist relations for the nonprofit organization Invisible Children. Follow her updates on Twitter or contact her directly.
