Autarkh More Man Than Machine on New Single “Strife”

Autarkh’s debut already sounded like a message from the future. But the Dutch band push their vision to even further extremes on ‘Emergent’, which comes out on November 10. The new album is now available for pre-order HERE.

Today, Autarkh are releasing the first single off ‘Emergent’. Watch the intense video for “Strife” HERE.

‘Emergent’ still bristles with melodic dissonance, ambient droning and glitchy programmed beats. It’s just that now, instead of looking for their reflection in the natural world, Autarkh journey inward in search of peace.

“‘Strife’ shows how we took a different direction on ‘Emergent’: a more straightforward approach where specific atmospheres rather than the density and intensity of ‘Form In Motion’ are emphasized”, says Nienhuis. “Guitarist David Luiten has done an outstanding job writing this track. The remarkable guitar theme – that we reused in the Autarkh III song “Lost In Sight” – captivated me instantly when I heard the original version (for a different project) in 2020, and led to this Autarkh version that we are delighted to share with you today!’’

“Strife” finds Autarkh locked in a battle with their inner demons. The song opens with drum pads that pound quietly, like trying to escape from your own personal prison. The mental anguish only escalates from there, spiked by a thousand megawatts of industrial-sized riffs. But the band doesn’t lose hope. “My eternal summer is not so distant anymore”, Nienhuis screams as if clawing toward a pinhole of light.

Autarkh might be from the future. But they’re still human after all.

Open Focus (6:59) Strife (5:23) Duhkha (5:20) Trek (5:26) Refocus (4:49) Aperture (1:46) Eye of Horus (4:23) Countless Kaleidoscopes (5:17) Ka (6:14)