Dune Altar (DA-033)

FAETOOTH is a four-piece doom metal band based in Los Angeles, California.  They officially formed in 2019, with Ashla Chavez Razzano on guitar & vox, Jenna Garcia on bass & vox, Ari May on guitar & vox, and Rah Kanan on drums.  The quartet had already been friends for several years before the band's inception, instilling the confidence necessary to navigate personal vulnerability and vast musical experimentation.  Faetooth possesses the ability to bewitch listeners through trance-inducing riffs, alluring melodies, and rich lyricism that ranges from mysterious to diaristic.  Faetooth’s music is about the nature of the self, the natural world, and all of its enchanting mysteries. 
 
Faetooth’s previous release, their debut four track EP, … An Invocation garnered tremendous attention – an attention that continues to grow at a fairly rapid pace, as new listeners are swayed daily by Faetooth's intensity.  A small lathe-cut vinyl release of the EP, released a year after the initial digital release, sold out within 20 hours, a feat that likely presages things to come.

Remnants of the Vessel

Echolalia

FAETOOTH - Echolalia

Strange Ways

FAETOOTH - Strange Ways

Dune Altar (DA-034)

Hailing from the ever-fertile punk landscape of the San Fernando Valley, FORM RANK's brand of American Oi! and early '80s style melodic hardcore pays homage to its roots with freight-train guitar riffs, plodding drums, politically & socially-driven lyrics, and anthemic melodies that will have you shouting along by the second chorus.
 
Their debut album, which compiles two different recording sessions, contains the sound of a band that is incredibly well versed in its punk rock history, but still has something of its own to say.  The band has been playing shows for several years, but they have finally decided that it was time to release a full album. With a cassette release from DUNE ALTAR, the band is ready to blast out of the covid years with a renewed vigor and more attitude.

Andrew Locacciato - Guitar
Dylan Showalter - Bass/vocals
Ethan Shapiro - Vocals
Matthew Davis - Guitar
Steven Frias - Drums

Form Rank

Crazy

FORM RANK - Crazy

Dune Altar (DA-042)

The sonic equivalent of standing on a beach as a tidal wave approaches, listening to IRESS is to be aware of certain devastation, yet grateful to witness something so terrifyingly beautiful, and transfixed in anticipation for whatever happens next.

Formed in Los Angeles in 2010, IRESS employ dark, commanding elements of shoegaze, slowcore and metal, swelling in moments of cinematic-like crescendo.  Dubbed the “Adele of Doom” by her local LA music peers, frontwoman Michelle Malley’s vocals have the power to envelop with smokey warmth, destroy with anguished belting, and arrest with unbelievable restraint.  Bassist, Michael Maldonado, provides the much-needed anchor in the bewitching melodies and reverb, while drummer, Glenn Chu, pushes unrelentingly forward.  Guitarist, Graham Walker, joined in 2022 instigating a new, more collaborative way of working for the band.  This chemistry is undeniable on stage as the intentionality applied to live performances leaves audiences stunned to silence in moments, brought to tears in others when impaled by Malley’s emotional screams, all the while supplying a satisfying amount of crushing distortion to head bang through. 

The success of Iress’ newfound anatomy can also be heard in the exceptionally composed, staggering wave of doomgazey sound on the upcoming "Solace" EP, which tells the story of the brutal reality of change: inevitable, painful and beautiful.

Solace

Soft

IRESS - Soft

Ricochet

IRESS - Ricochet

Dune Altar (DA-042)

The sonic equivalent of standing on a beach as a tidal wave approaches, listening to IRESS is to be aware of certain devastation, yet grateful to witness something so terrifyingly beautiful, and transfixed in anticipation for whatever happens next.

Formed in Los Angeles in 2010, IRESS employ dark, commanding elements of shoegaze, slowcore and metal, swelling in moments of cinematic-like crescendo. Dubbed the “Adele of Doom” by her local LA music peers, frontwoman Michelle Malley’s vocals have the power to envelop with smokey warmth, destroy with anguished belting, and arrest with unbelievable restraint. Bassist, Michael Maldonado, provides the much-needed anchor in the bewitching melodies and reverb, while drummer, Glenn Chu, pushes unrelentingly forward. Guitarist, Graham Walker, joined in 2022 instigating a new, more collaborative way of working for the band. This chemistry is undeniable on stage as the intentionality applied to live performances leaves audiences stunned to silence in moments, brought to tears in others when impaled by Malley’s emotional screams, all the while supplying a satisfying amount of crushing distortion to head bang through.

The success of Iress’ newfound anatomy can also be heard in the exceptionally composed, staggering wave of doomgazey sound on the upcoming Solace EP, which tells the story of the brutal reality of change: inevitable, painful and beautiful.

Blush

IRESS - Blush

Vanish

IRESS - Vanish

Dancing Barefoot

CARESS - Dancing Barefoot (Patti Smith cover)

Dune Altar (DA-048)

Honeycrush is the solo music project from New York singer-songwriter-poet Alexandra Antonopoulos.  Using evocative storytelling and raw, emotive vocal performances, Honeycrush seamlessly ignores the trappings of genre, while drawing on the disparate influences of ‘90s permawave artists like Fiona Apple, Nirvana, PJ Harvey and Jeff Buckley to create sonic landscapes that are heavy with mood and ripe with emotion.

Despite having been a singer since childhood, classically trained to respect the traditions of pitch-perfection and musicality, Antonopoulos only first picked up a guitar in December 2020.  Inspiration surged in her as she learned to play, resulting in the writing, production and subsequent release of “Tilt Your Head,” her first single, in early 2022.  Three more singles followed in quick succession, with her fourth, “I Want It To Be Light So They Can See We Disappeared” released on eclectic LA label Dune Altar, a partnership that continues with the release of her upcoming debut EP MILK TEETH.

With MILK TEETH, Antonopoulos attempts to reconcile the relationship between pain and growth, taking a microscope to her own flaws and worst days.  Obsessive longing, embittered grief, impotent rage, and the relentless pursuit of self-improvement are inescapable realities that Antonopoulos refuses to condemn in her journey of self-examination on Milk Teeth.  Instead, they are amplified by every meticulously chosen guitar tone and sting in the inflection of each word.

Milk Teeth

HONEYCRUSH - Stars

Dune Altar (DA-047)

The brainchild of musical polymath Tyler “Fournames” Fortney, CUFFED is a project crafted to defy conformity while paying tribute to the soundtrack of his youth.  Diving deep into a realm of his own creation, the native Angeleno combines elements of Depeche Mode, Killing Joke and Sisters of Mercy, processing these lifelong influences through his own lifetime of creation and sonic exploration.  
 
CUFFED’s music is more than just a blend of haunting melodies and pulsating synths; it's a form of therapy for this 20-year music veteran and first-time solo artist.  Having spent his career working with notable artists The Neighbourhood, She Wants Revenge, Daniel Ash, Mark Hoppus, and Scarypoolparty among others, Fortney felt it was time to channel his inner demons into something raw and real.  With his current series of releases, CUFFED invites you to step into a world where nostalgia meets innovation, and where music is more than just a series of notes – it's an emotional journey, as he navigates the shadows of LA's underbelly, one synth-laden track at a time.  
 
'Visitors' is the third chapter in the story that began with Cuffed’s debut single 'Possessed' and continued with the second single 'Deceiver'.  Out October 27, 2023 via eclectic LA record label DUNE ALTAR.

Visitor

CUFFED - Visitors

Dune Altar (DA-050)
Church Road Records (CRR218)

IRESS emerges from the heart of Los Angeles, conjuring enveloping soundscapes that blend elements of doom and shoegaze with powerful melodies. Led by the mesmerizing vocals of Michelle Malley, the band weaves together layers of crushing guitars, atmospheric textures, and brooding rhythms to create a sonic tapestry that is simultaneously haunting and beautiful. With their domestic and international touring schedule in 2024, and upcoming LP "Sleep Now, In Reverse", Iress is poised to invite listeners globally to be transported to a realm where darkness and beauty intertwine.

BUY IT!

IRESS - Knell Mera

IRESS - In Reverse

IRESS - The Remains

IRESS - Lovely (Forget Me Not)

IRESS - Leviathan (The Fog)

IRESS - Mercy

IRESS - Ever Under

IRESS - Falling

Dune Altar (DA-058)

Pillowprince is an Oakland-based indie gaze band that makes rock from cracking folds of leather and glittering chain link, from nights of red-gelled stage lights and mornings after that are way too bright, from hair matted with joy and danger and most of all from bodies making places for themselves only they know.
 
Songwriter and guitarist Olivia Lee (of There's Talk) sings about queer joy, pain, love and subversion, punctuating raw sincerity with vibrant brooding guitar riffs. Together with Sea Snyder on drums, they create dense, propulsive shoegaze anthems.

Massive and melodious, Pillowprince ebbs and flows between a dramatic intimate grandeur and irreverent indie pop on their debut EP, pretty, baby!, coming out on Dune Altar in Spring 2025.

pretty, baby!

Babybird

PILLOWPRINCE - Babybird

R the Straights OK

PILLOWPRINCE - R the Straights Ok

Dune Altar (DA-058.3)

Pillowprince is an Oakland-based indie gaze band that makes rock from cracking folds of leather and glittering chain link, from nights of red-gelled stage lights and mornings after that are way too bright, from hair matted with joy and danger and most of all from bodies making places for themselves only they know.
 
Songwriter and guitarist Olivia Lee (of There's Talk) sings about queer joy, pain, love and subversion, punctuating raw sincerity with vibrant brooding guitar riffs. Together with Sea Snyder on drums, they create dense, propulsive shoegaze anthems.

Massive and melodious, Pillowprince ebbs and flows between a dramatic intimate grandeur and irreverent indie pop on their debut EP, pretty, baby!, coming out on Dune Altar in Spring 2025.

Care About

PILLOWPRINCE - Care About

Dune Altar (DA-055)

 - CUFFED -
The brainchild of musical polymath Tyler “Fournames” Fortney, CUFFED is a project crafted to defy conformity while paying tribute to the soundtrack of his youth. Diving deep into a realm of his own creation, the native Angeleno combines elements of Depeche Mode, Killing Joke and Sisters of Mercy, processing these lifelong influences through his own lifetime of creation and sonic exploration.

CUFFED’s music is more than just a blend of haunting melodies and pulsating synths; it's a form of therapy for this 20-year music veteran and first-time solo artist. Having spent his career working with notable artists The Neighbourhood, She Wants Revenge, Daniel Ash, Mark Hoppus, and Scarypoolparty among others, Fortney felt it was time to channel his inner demons into something raw and real. With his current series of releases, CUFFED invites you to step into a world where nostalgia meets innovation, and where music is more than just a series of notes – it's an emotional journey, as he navigates the shadows of LA's underbelly, one synth-laden track at a time.

- NOANGELSS -
Internet-raised but Russian-born artist and musician NOANGELSS is establishing her own reality through sound and poems, addressing the everlasting question of one’s mission in the world, monologue to a lover, finding one’s voice and breaking the chains of fears. Building her own narrative with genre bending, heavy vocals, and bright stories, NOANGELSS started their journey with a a series of singles, and the album “Gobbler” – with its dreamy closing soft hit – “The Gatherer and The Gander,” all produced by BLACKAWASAKI. The complex, powerful orchestra of harsh and booming sounds with the velvety yet sharp voice are woven from thousands details crossing one another. 

NOANGELSS bond with CUFFED developed digitally but naturally – sharing raw emotions and uncovered secrets through wav files and zoom calls to create “Imposter”. Despite the distance, they’ve set a digital studio to share ideas and find the perfect striking instrumentals to pull you to dance the night away.

Imposter

CUFFED - Imposter [feat. NOANGELSS]

Dune Altar (DA-057)

The sound of Los Angeles shoegaze band OSNOVA could still be likened to walking alone on a dark night – it strides with confidence, masking an unstable and anxious edge – the sound of forward movement that is all at once evocative, determined and enveloping.
 
OSNOVA began in 2018 with some instrumental ideas by guitarist Jean-Claude Vorgeack. JC (for fans of brevity) remains a lifelong student of “alternative” music, his influences evident from his days as a music journalist and DJ at KXLU FM in Los Angeles. Since his days as a lad, poring over album cover art and lyrics, to years spent in countless underground bands, OSNOVA is the culmination of a life of music consumption from a musician who has finally absorbed a thing or two in his studies.
 
When JC went looking for a drummer, Sam Ribeyro answered the call. A Russian émigré and man of few words, Sam brought tasteful phrasing and vital life to JC’s home-recorded demos. Sam and JC continued to work on music throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but their search for additional collaborators wouldn't come to fruition until July of 2022. After more auditions than the two would care to recall, the band found vocalist Caroline McLaughlin. A Minnesota transplant with formal training in voice and theatre, Caroline’s vocals balance strength and vulnerability, and she immediately understood the band’s cinematic sound. Reminiscent at times of Katie Ball (Just Mustard) in her stronger moments and Toni Halliday (Curve) in her more fragile ones, Caroline’s vocals command attention in a way not often heard in this genre of music. Osnova released its self-titled debut EP in fall of 2022, followed by the single “Octavian” B-side “For Selene” in 2023.

Climbing Dues

Dune Altar (DA-054)

Los Angeles-based IN COVERT crafts a shadow-drenched fusion of gothic punk, noise rock, doom metal, shoegaze, and industrial—an unrelenting soundscape where dystopian nightmares and raw emotion collide. Their music is a fever dream of searing riffs, suffocating atmospheres, and pounding rhythms, channeling sci-fi horror into a visceral sonic assault.

Originally the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Wes Lopez (La Ghost, Channel), In Covert expanded into a full band in late 2022 with the addition of drummer Oscar Ruvalcaba (The Warlocks, All Your Sisters, Flaamingos), bassist Victor Guitarrez (Phaeic, Sodaboxx), and guitarist/vocalist Kris Balocca (Phaeic, Urns & Argyles). Together, they formed a powerhouse of crashing drums, pulsing bass, and layered distortion, building a sound that is both hypnotic and punishing. Drawing inspiration from the primal intensity of Christian Death, the mechanical grind of Godflesh, and the bleak sonic landscapes of Have a Nice Life, their music blurs the line between beauty and brutality.

Following the blistering intensity of their run of early singles, In Covert is set to unveil their debut album Bleak Machinery on May 9th via DUNE ALTAR—a record that lurches and howls––an appropriate soundtrack to a world currently unraveling.

Produced by Wes Lopez
Blood Moon & Dead Weight recorded by Chris King at Moonpalace, LA in January 2023.
Nowhere to turn, Death Embers & Night Captivity recorded at Paradise Recorders, Fullerton in July 2023
Shivers Down the Spine, Darkfields & Cemetery Nights recorded at Paradise Recorders in September 2023
Blood Moon Rises, The Truth Is Out There, Gates of He// recorded at Wes’s room in Lynwood, CA / Moonpalace in November 2023
Mixed by Chris King at Moonpalace Productions, Los Angeles
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, Portland
Artwork by Chris Friedman (Hercules Larva)

BUY IT

Dead Weight

Night Captivity

Pain Manager

Dune Altar (DA-062)

Los Angeles based Deformr crafts immersive sonic landscapes that blur the line between beauty and brutality. Combining modular synthesis, crushing drum samples, distorted guitar, and cinematic orchestration, Deformr creates what he calls deathscapes—a sound that is as emotionally evocative as it is sonically punishing. His work fuses the tactile unpredictability of Eurorack systems with tightly composed layers of tension and release, evoking images of decaying cities, broken memories, and ghostly violence.

He is a recurring composer for Swindled, one of the most popular true crime podcasts in the world, known for its haunting scores and atmospheric weight. Masked behind shards of glass, Deformr remains a mysterious presence, channeling darkness through a deliberately fractured lens.



We've Met Before, Haven't We?

Bury Me Under the Cherry Blossoms

Dune Altar (DA-059)

KØCAZE is the result of an unexpected collision between two creative opposites—Elsa Verhoeven and Olivier Jacqmin, artists with radically different approaches to making music. Where Elsa leans on classical training and theory, Olivier moves by instinct, self-taught and unbound by convention. Their contrasting forces merge in tension and harmony, crafting haunting compositions that feel both intimate and immense.

Based in Liège, Belgium, KØCAZE first emerged in 2020 with a debut EP in full-band format. Now, they return transformed. Their second release, D’Or et de Sang, dives deeper into a dark pop and neoclassical aesthetic, stripping back the layers to a stark but emotionally rich core of guitar, piano, samples, and voice. Sung entirely in French, these new songs linger in the liminal—balancing on the knife’s edge between beauty and sorrow, strength and vulnerability.

Their latest work feels like a nocturnal odyssey—sometimes cinematic, sometimes feral and expansive—pulling the listener into shadowy terrain and quiet introspection. Tracks like “Aboyer en silence” and “La Noyée” confront self-doubt, toxic relationships, and the loss of identity, while others like “Imposteur” and “Le Poids de l’Or” tackle fear, power, and the slow erosion of self under societal pressure. It’s a deeply human record: the sound of rebuilding after collapse.

A pivotal moment in KØCAZE’s evolution came in Ghent, when producer Koen Gisen urged them to write in their native language. The shift unlocked a new creative direction and helped crystallize the band’s identity. Determined to push further, the duo reached out to Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe, Blood Moon), who came on board for production and mixing. His contribution added atmospheric weight and delicate menace to the recordings, which were mastered by Alan Douches (West West Side Music).

Their songs echo the influence of artists like Soap&Skin, Maud the Moth, Emma Ruth Rundle, Dead Can Dance, and Zola Jesus, yet KØCAZE's sound remains distinctly their own. They create music that feels like entering another dimension—one where language, mood, and sound coalesce into something elemental.


D'Or & de Sang

Cîmes et Souvenirs

Cîmes et Souvenirs

Dune Altar (DA-062)

Los Angeles based Deformr crafts immersive sonic landscapes that blur the line between beauty and brutality. Combining modular synthesis, crushing drum samples, distorted guitar, and cinematic orchestration, Deformr creates what he calls deathscapes—a sound that is as emotionally evocative as it is sonically punishing. His work fuses the tactile unpredictability of Eurorack systems with tightly composed layers of tension and release, evoking images of decaying cities, broken memories, and ghostly violence.

He is a recurring composer for Swindled, one of the most popular true crime podcasts in the world, known for its haunting scores and atmospheric weight. Masked behind shards of glass, Deformr remains a mysterious presence, channeling darkness through a deliberately fractured lens.


Kacere

Deep City

(Altar) Beast in the Basement

Dune Altar (DA-061)

The sound of Los Angeles shoegaze band OSNOVA could still be likened to walking alone on a dark night – it strides with confidence, masking an unstable and anxious edge – the sound of forward movement that is all at once evocative, determined and enveloping.
 
OSNOVA began in 2018 with some instrumental ideas by guitarist Jean-Claude Vorgeack (JC to his friends). JC remains a lifelong student of “alternative” music, his influences evident from his days as a music journalist and DJ at KXLU FM in Los Angeles. Since his days as a lad, poring over album cover art and lyrics, to years spent in countless underground bands, OSNOVA is the culmination of a life of music consumption from a musician who has finally absorbed a thing or two in his studies.
 
When JC went looking for a drummer, Sam Ribeyro answered the call. A Russian émigré and man of few words, Sam brought tasteful phrasing and vital life to JC’s home-recorded demos. Sam and JC continued to work on music throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but their search for additional collaborators wouldn't come to fruition until July of 2022. After more auditions than the two would care to recall, the band found vocalist Caroline McLaughlin. A Minnesota transplant with formal training in voice and theatre, Caroline’s vocals balance strength and vulnerability, and she immediately understood the band’s cinematic sound. Reminiscent at times of Katie Ball (Just Mustard) in her stronger moments and Toni Halliday (Curve) in her more fragile ones, Caroline’s vocals command attention in a way not often heard in this genre of music. Osnova released its self-titled debut EP in fall of 2022, followed by the single “Octavian” B-side “For Selene” in 2023, followed by the nostalgically yearning ‘Waiting for June’ in August of 2024.
 

Rise the Sun EP

Blame the Fates

Blue and Green

Burning Time

Thanks a Lot

Rise the Sun

Dune Altar (DA-020)

With Dune Altar's first charitable compilation we hope to help bring awareness to the mental health conditions plaguing 44 million Americans today, and so many more worldwide.  Inspired by Adrian Borland, frontman of The Sound and brilliant artist who suffered from schizoaffective disorder and severe depression, 'Do You Feel That Way Too? A Tribute to The Sound' features various artists contributing covers of songs from the The Sound’s timeless catalog.  Also includes an extensive booklet, featuring unseen photos, brand new interviews, mental health statistics / resources and more!

As a criminally underrated, yet tremendously influential 1980s UK band, The Sound was seldom acknowledged by and has long since been forgotten by the mainstream.  The story of The Sound has long been inextricably linked to mental health, a connection that was solidified with Adrian Borland’s suicide in 1999.  In the spirit of this cause, we’ve partnered with Painted Brain, a Los Angeles non-profit organization, providing art and community-based solutions to mental health challenges.   100% OF THE PROFITS FROM THE SALE OF THIS COMPILATION WILL BE DONATED TO PAINTED BRAIN, TO PUT TOWARD THEIR VARIOUS PROGRAMS.

  And so here we are: 16 artists who have all been touched and inspired by the music of The Sound, and we’re proud to present our versions of their songs.

DUNE ALTAR

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