Minimal synth wizards Boy Harsher released their third studio album today. It’s called The Runner, and it’s a bit of a departure for the duo. The album serves as an original soundtrack to a short horror film the band made themselves.
According to the press notes, The Runner follows a strange woman as she travels to a secluded, rural town where her violent compulsions are slowly revealed. It’s now screening in arthouse cinemas and is streaming online at horror channel Shudder.
The soundtrack to The Runner features eight original songs by Boy Harsher that they perform during the film on a public access channel, chronicling the woman’s descent into the unknown. They’ve already released three songs from the soundtrack, including “Tower” and “Give Me a Reason.”
Boy Harsher’s most recent single—and my favorite of the tracks we’ve heard from The Runner—is “Machina,” which finds the duo embracing the Italo disco renaissance. Guest vocalist Mariana Saldaña of synthpop duo BOAN provides vocals on the bubbly, energetic track that sounds like something you’d hear in an ’80s rollerskating rink.
The Runner is the follow-up to Boy Harsher’s 2019 album, Careful, which included the tracks “Face the Fire” and “Come Closer.” It was among my favorite albums of the year. They are probably best known for their 2014 hit “Pain,” which has become a staple on dancefloor setlists.
