N I T E F I S H is an enigmatic figure on Stockholm’s music scene, sporting fast swimming goggles and wielding two microphones. This fierce artist creates an explosive hybrid of punk rap vocals infused with hyperpop and gabber, interwoven with trance and drum and bass, captivating sweaty dance floors across Sweden and Europe. With electrifying performances at notable venues like the Norberg Festival, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Inkonst, and Debaser, N I T E F I S H pushes the boundaries between punk, rave, and performance art. This innovative spirit is showcased in the new EP, “Balenciaga Exile,” released through Spice 99’s newly launched label, Spice 99 Recordings.
Part rave, part exorcism, N I T E F I S H’s explosive stage presence offers an immersive experience for audiences, combining breakcore drums, live camera visuals, and fervent catharsis. With the dance floor acting as a revolutionary weapon, the upcoming cybergothic EP and physical card game “Balenciaga Exile,” released on June 11, explores a haunting world filled with cyberdemons, melting Teslas, and a generation grappling with peculiar digital outgrowths, cast aside by their tech overlords into a fresh era of rave alchemy.
Balenciaga Exile”, new EP, 11/6 via @spice99_4ever x @spice99rec
Cover art: @studio_forgatmigej
Photos by @lamiakaric
Confronting the Digital Dystopia
In a contemporary landscape marred by paranoia, endless scrolling, TikTok drone strikes, and rising militarism, “Balenciaga Exile” delves into the core of rave and punk music as a transcendental form of resilience. The energy of the dance floor and mosh pit becomes a ritualistic space for confronting inner demons and crafting temporary utopias beyond one’s digital self. It’s a new “Trainspotting” for the brainrot generation.
The EP’s title hints at internal corruption and anxiety within high culture, evoking similar thoughts to the Balenciaga pedophilia scandal from a few years ago. It also reflects the emergence of a new digital underclass and subculture, ostracised from the highbrow of cultural spaces yet finding ways to forge new identities in the grey concrete peripheries.
“I want to capture the essence of draining your entire life into the screen of your phone. Your fears, your desires, your self-esteem—all vanish into a mirror that is, in reality, a camera, a distorted lens with no end. It’s sexy, it’s frightening, it makes you manic; it can destroy you, yet you’ll never get enough.”
Incorporating influences from alchemy, Gnosticism, and expanding upon N I T E F I S H’s classic realm of gabber, breakbeats, and hyperpunk, the EP showcases a soundscape that experiments with controlled chaos. The track “My Phone Is Better Than Drugs” features live instruments, including ethereal free jazz saxophones and an alboka, a Basque horn played by Ignacio Roulet, adding layers of catharsis from free jazz and Basque folk music. This sonic concoction pulses with the rhythmic qualities of punk and gabber, evoking the sensation of an acid trip in the desert while desperately searching for the next like, the next share, the next fix.
Looking Ahead: An Explosive Gig Awaits
Following the EP’s release, N I T E F I S H will embark on an exhilarating tour spanning London, Dublin, and Amsterdam throughout July, with the next Swedish performance slated for Fools Gold on August 22. Fans can stay updated on all things N I T E F I S H through Instagram at @nitefishofficial.
With “Balenciaga Exile,” N I T E F I S H not only challenges music norms but also throws down the gauntlet for those ready to confront the chaos of the digital age, ensuring an unforgettable experience.
