Industrial pop icon Aesthetic Perfection has a new track out called “Bark at the Moon” that is quite different from what we’re used to hearing from the project.
“Bark at the Moon” finds AP mastermind Daniel Graves performing in his natural singing voice rather than the gravelly vocals he typically employs, though we’ve certainly heard this style of singing from him before on songs like “The Ones” and his Blood Spills Not Far From the Wound tracks. Likewise, the synths offer a more melodic bounce, making it one of the purest synthpop songs he’s produced, and there’s a tight bass riff that traverses the track.
The song is a nice reminder that Aesthetic Perfection is one of the most malleable artists in the dark electronic scene, capable of wielding influences from across the music landscape. He’s never been shy about his broad influences that include the mainstream pop world, and he’s even covered an N’Sync song.
On “Bark at the Moon,” I get a very strong “Blinding Lights” vibe. The trajectory of The Weeknd’s massive hit feels like it’s coming full circle here. It’s very clear that The Weeknd was influenced by the dark synth world (in fact, one of the producers behind “Blinding Lights” is Oscar Holter from industrial band Necro Facility). Now I’m starting to hear its influence on artists like Aesthetic Perfection and Danny Blu.
Aesthetic Perfection has been steadily cranking out new tracks each month this year as part of a project he calls “12 Songs in 12 Months,” and “Bark at the Moon” is the tenth installment. Every track has been wildly different, with sounds encompassing pop, industrial rock, dark techno, and beyond. I believe he’s planning to compile them into an album.
