Darkswoon Turn Antivenom Into a Beautifully Controlled Darkwave Discharge

The Portland trio sharpen their mix of post-punk, dream pop, shoegaze, and electronic textures into a record that feels both severe and deeply human.

I come away from Darkswoon’s Antivenom hearing a band that knows exactly how much tension a song can hold before it starts to glow. The Portland trio delivers a record which is a hardware-driven blend of darkwave, post-punk, and shoegaze, with ethereal vocals, gritty basslines, and propulsive rhythms all locked into the same dense frame. The 10-track album moves from the 40-second opener “Connective Tissue” through the title track, “Thread,” “Monochrome,” and “Going Dark” with a sense of escalation that feels intentional.

For me, the strongest thing about Antivenom is how it balances cold surfaces with unmistakable feeling. These songs carry urgency through unresolved emotions and things left unsaid, and that tracks with the record’s emotional gravity. It is music staying inside the bruise until the shape of it becomes clear. Darkswoon sound more assured in their atmosphere and more confident in letting melody cut through the haze.

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What was the first spark for Carousel as an EP rather than a single or a full-length?

How did the title track set the emotional and sonic tone for the rest of the record?

“Tv Static” suggests interference and signal loss. What was the idea behind that song?

“Your Friends” feels like the most immediate track on the EP. Was that sense of directness intentional?

“A Strange Night At Dave N Busters (Kiss The Pavement)” is your most expansive title and longest song. What made it the right closer?

How did your self-production shape the final versions of these songs?

What did Csaba Laszlo and Roberto Angel-Dwyer each bring to the writing and arranging process?

Your own description points to influences ranging from 70s New Wave to Cowboy Grunge. How do those reference points meet on Carousel?

Where did you hear the biggest leap in confidence compared with earlier releases?

Did any song on Carousel change dramatically once you started tracking it?

What do you think Carousel reveals about Hotel Decor as a collaborative project right now?