Employing the production prowess of producer-engineer and synthesist Matia Simovich (SRSQ, RIKI, Body of Light), Goldstein has been working diligently behind the scenes to deliver a masterful collection of songs finally unveiled as Other World. The EP arrives amidst a wave of momentum that Goldstein has been building throughout her tenure, touring extensively and securing coveted slots in high-profile dark music festivals such as Substance LA and Chicago's Sanctum Festival (alongside The Soft Moon, Kontravoid, Lust for Youth, and more).
Since the release of her debut solo full-length (Forget This, 2020) and her singles thereafter, Madeline Goldstein has quickly become a benchmark amidst her contemporaries in the current scene of synth-based new wave revival, steadily amassing a devoted fan base in the LA scene and beyond. Goldstein differentiates herself with an impressive alto-soprano range and a magnetic presence akin to the 80's femme icons by which she is influenced. A veteran performer and vocalist (formerly of Portland's Fringe Class), Madeline Goldstein formed her solo project after relocating to Los Angeles in 2019. Last January, Goldstein joined the roster of up-and-coming post-punk label à La Carte Records (Soft Kill, The True Faith, Lesser Care), adding a breath of electro sensibility to the cavernous post-punk that has become a trademark of the label's catalogue.
Madeline Goldstein's sophomore release begins with a cold, pulsing synth that enters alongside a synchronous 808 kick. "Seed of Doubt", the first track from Other World, establishes an unyielding presence within the song's opening bars that is felt brooding throughout the entirety of the record. The song demonstrates Goldstein's symbiotic relationship with her home-base LA, a bustling urban metropolis of lavish texture and grit, density and sparseness, characteristically similar to that of her arrangements.
"Other World", the tranquilizing title track, is a continued exploration of the artist's marriage of synth-drenched darkwave and spacious new wave. At its entrance, "Other World" lures its listeners in with weaving, segmented drums, droning synths and a soaring soprano delivery bridging the ethereal yet danceable trademark of Goldstein's style. The main vocal line, delivered with Goldstein's signature elegance, gains intensity towards its climactic third act -- the track culminates as backing vocal harmonies careen, levitating above the composition and making way for a distant saxophone to bring a soothing warmth to the track's end.
Madeline writes, "I wanted to create a soundscape that was reminiscent of theatrical ballads from musicals and the most dramatic of 80s love songs...looking at the edge of your own desires but not being able to say what you really want. It’s about not advocating for yourself and the spiral of self-doubt in love and creativity."
Pressing info
First Press:
- 100 copies on dark blue splatter vinyl (tour edition)
- 200 copies on transparent dark blue vinyl
- 10 test presses on natural vinyl
- 10 test presses on transparent orange vinyl
Second Press:
- 200 copies on transparent red vinyl
- 20 copies on clear with red obi-strip (Substance Fest edition)
- 20 copies on clear with blue obi-strip (Sanctum Fest edition)
Music and Lyrics by Madeline Goldstein
Produced and mixed by Matia Simovich at Infinite Power Studios in Los Angeles
Mastered by Josh Bonati
Tenor saxophone on “Other World” performed by Byron Burchard
Photography by Sevin Mundo/Enshrine Productions
Design by Michael Bühler-Rose
ALC-112