The Cult hold a significant place in musical history due to their pioneering use of post-punk, hard rock, and experimentalism, pushing boundaries and influencing countless bands across multiple genres. With their musical prowess, uncompromising attitude and captivating stage presence, they forged a distinct identity while charting new territory for bands to explore. From Billy Duffy’s formative, and influential, years in the Manchester underground, to Ian Astbury’s groundbreaking Gathering of the Tribes, the duo has left an indelible mark on modern music, shaping it’s trajectory in profound ways.
The Cult formed in 1984 England, with the seminal post-punk band going on to sell millions of albums with numerous international and U.S. gold and platinum certifications. Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) have released 11 studio albums over The Cult’s career. The band, dubbed “Shamanic goths”, found international renown with the 1985 album, Love, which featured the enduring rock anthem “She Sells Sanctuary,” as well as the oft-heard follow-up single ,“Rain.” Electric arrived in 1989, with journalists saying the collection of songs (particularly “Love Removal Machine,” “Wild Flower” and “Lil’ Devil”) “swaggers, crunches and howls.” Most recently, The Cult released Under the Midnight Sun. A review of the eight-song album succinctly said “rock’s unquenchable melodramatists have the fire in their eyes still.” In late 2023, Astbury and Duffy reformed Death Cult for a series of live performances including a sole U.S. date at The Theatre at The Ace Hotel and a limited run of U.K. dates including back-to-back sold out shows at the Brixton Electric. Over the early months of 2024, the band has performed on The Howard Stern Show and begun a series of vinyl reissues of their full slate of critically-acclaimed albums.
Lys Morke (Irene Talló) is a singer-songwriter, producer andvisual artist based in Barcelona and born in the nearby town of Terrassa.Through ambient, electronic music and dark pop, she blurs the lines betweengenres and invites us to explore the inner emotional world with a nostalgiclook towards the 90s of PJ Harvey, Massive Attack or Tori Amos and theinfluence of contemporary electronica by artists such as Arca, Sega Bodega orGrimes.
Whether with intimate ballads drenched in electronic landscapes- or with reggaeton, techno, autotune and thick bass sounds - her songs tell usstories of desire, cruel love and loss. An exercise of introspection andvulnerability that reflects the therapeutic process: feeling and materializingemotions in order to heal and rebuild oneself.
At the age of 8, Irene picked up a guitar for the first time andhas never let go of it - it has been her main tool for exploring musicthroughout her life. Now, however, this formative instrument takes a back seat.Having traversed genres as disparate as alternative folk and experimentalmetal, she toured throughout Europe in group projects before beginning to laydown the foundations of Lys Morke in 2019. Experimenting with her music andperformance in the eye of an online audience, Irene developed as a producer byfusing many electronic subgenres such as ambient, hyperpop or techno withoutlosing the roots that have built her musical identity, such as alternative andprogressive rock. Preparing to release her new music, she is joined in the liveband by Jaime Díaz-Otero (electronic percussion) and Judit K (synthesizers).
In 2023, Lys Morke signed a recording deal with Toronto-basedArtoffact Records (Kælan Mikla, Front Line Assembly, Cevin Key, GGGOLDDD, ULTRASUNN). 2024 and 2025 will see a series of releases on the label, as well asplans for touring and festivals. Lys Morke will visit the UK with Maybeshewillin May and toured with A.A. Williams throughout Europe last year; she debutedthe project outside of her homeland a few months earlier at Arctangentalongside Swans, Jaga Jazzist, Petbrick and Converge.
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