The American synthpop scene has lost one of its own. Multiple people on Facebook are sharing the news that Mark Sousa, the man behind Voicecoil, passed away last night. I did not know Mark personally, but we corresponded several times over the past five years. I found him to be incredibly kind, deeply passionate about music, and extremely talented.
As Voicecoil, Mark created fiery futurepop with driving beats and beautiful melodies. He made music that could fill a dancefloor, but he always balanced that energy with quieter, more intimate moments—like the delicate piano line in his song “Why.” His work never felt disposable. Especially on 2022’s Strange Days, his final album, Mark’s songs felt remarkably cohesive, pairing emotionally resonant vocals with themes that reflected the anxiety and disorientation of our post-Covid world.
Mark had a gift for blending beats with nostalgia and introspection. On “Vesterbrogade,” a standout track from Strange Days, he sings of “walking these streets until the day the world knows my name.” On “Nostalgia Trap,” he lovingly nods to classic club anthems, weaving in lyrical references to VNV Nation, Covenant, and Apoptygma Berzerk. It’s a song that made many of us dream of better times—on the dancefloor and beyond.
Voicecoil was an electropop/futurepop project based in Denver, Colorado. Over the course of his career, Mark released four albums, beginning with Awakened in 2014. His music was remixed by artists such as Ruined Conflict, Interface, and The Rain Within. Outside of Voicecoil, Mark also explored harsher territory with his industrial side project Gravity Corps.
I encourage you to spend some time today with Mark’s music. Below is “Nostalgia Trap,” one of my favorite Voicecoil songs, and a reminder of the warmth, heart, and humanity he brought to the scene.
