There’s something magnetic about music that doesn’t just fill the silence but transforms it into something cinematic, immersive, and eerily hypnotic. That’s exactly what Ceremony Shadows delivers with their latest single, Prey, released on February 17, 2025. This Portland-based trio has mastered the art of ritualistic darkwave—a sound that pulses with an undercurrent of existential tension, fusing brooding synths, atmospheric guitar work, and haunting vocals into something that feels both deeply personal and unsettlingly universal.
From the very first notes, Prey wraps around you like a shadow, pulsing with a thumping synth-bass that feels like it’s creeping up from beneath your skin. The production is both pristine and raw, balancing darkwave’s signature mechanical heartbeat with post-punk’s ethereal melancholy. The guitar work—drenched in reverb and delay—echoes across the track like whispers in a fog, creating a soundscape that feels vast yet claustrophobic, like walking through an abandoned city where every alleyway could hold a secret.
But Prey isn’t just about sonic atmosphere—it’s a thematic call to arms, an exploration of passive complacency and the psychological cages we willingly inhabit. The lyrics dissect the habitual fear-based mindset that keeps us locked in cycles of conformity, comfort, and stagnation. With lines like “Negate the change, endure the pain,” the song forces the listener to confront a fundamental question: Are we choosing to be victims of our own existence?
Ceremony Shadows has always been about more than just the music—it’s an experience, a convergence of sound, visuals, and existential introspection. Initially the solo project of Timo, the project expanded with the addition of Anastasia and Jakub, whose haunting, melodic vocals add a human fragility to the project’s industrial edge. Their voices don’t just carry the lyrics—they embody them, moving between ethereal whispers and soaring desperation, like ghosts trapped between resignation and rebellion.
Drawing from influences like Boy Harsher, The Knife, Depeche Mode, Kite, and Coil, the band doesn’t merely mimic their predecessors; they reshape these sounds into something uniquely their own. There’s a ritualistic quality to their music, a sense that every track is meant to be experienced, not just heard. It’s no surprise that their immersive live performances merge light, sound, and spatial design into hypnotic, almost ceremonial experiences—their concerts aren’t just gigs, they’re sonic rituals.
Even beyond the underground darkwave scene, Ceremony Shadows has been turning heads in the experimental music world. Their ambient compositions have landed them a spot at the Sonic Matter experimental music festival in Zürich, Switzerland, and they’ve even pushed the boundaries of AI-assisted composition, earning Top 10 placements in the 2023 and 2024 AI Song Contests. This commitment to pushing musical boundaries sets them apart, proving that darkwave isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about evolution.
Prey stands as both a warning and an awakening, a track that lurks in the shadows before pulling you into its intoxicating depths. It’s moody but addictive, introspective yet anthemic, a song that demands to be felt rather than simply played in the background.
If Prey is your first introduction to Ceremony Shadows, you’ve arrived at the perfect moment. This isn’t just another band riding the darkwave resurgence—this is a movement, a soundscape of resistance, and a sonic reckoning wrapped in a haze of synth-laden mystery.
So turn off the lights. Let the music pulse through your veins. And ask yourself: Are you the hunter, or are you the prey?
