Beyond Border seems unstoppable at this point. The German duo continues to release new material that surprises and impresses dark music fans, and their latest is no different. They’ve just unveiled a ferocious new EP called Saint.
Saint contains five tracks that deliver the band’s thick beats and infectious melodies. It’s mostly a showcase for guests vocalists—including j:dead, N-Frequency, and Rana Arborea who sang backup on the band’s version of “Cry Little Sister“—though Beyond Border’s lead singer Kai Vincenz Nèmeth provides backing vocals and takes the lead on one track.
While all of the songs on Saint are gems, the standout for me is first track “Jump Into the Fire,” which features the now unmistakeable voice of another emerging star, j:dead, who infuses the energetic cut with his rich, warm vocals. What a year Jay Taylor is having. In addition to his excellent solo material, he’s shown up as the featured guest on a number of diverse tracks, from Against I to Menschdefekt.
Sinner EP coming soon
Beyond Border always has something on the horizon, and Saint will soon be followed by another EP called Sinner. It will contain five new songs that are a bit grittier than the tracks on Saint. Only one guest vocalist, Hilton Theissen of the synthpop act Zoodrake, will appear on Sinner.
This pair of EPs is the final showing in an outstanding year from Beyond Border. They’ve also given us a remix album called Awake the Clubs that featured remixes of songs from their debut album, Awaken. In July, they unleashed one of the most unusual projects I’ve seen lately—the band invited 16 artists from the dark music scene to interpret a single song called “Perfection.”
Beyond Border’s popularity has skyrocketed since their first release in late 2019. Read my interview with the band to learn more about their background and their approach to music.