Linea Aspera

Linea Aspera play cold but emotionally charged synth pop with lyrics about longing and desire wrapped in scientific analogies. Originally from London, the duo released their self-titled debut in 2012 and became one of the most beloved bands associated with the minimal wave revival. They disbanded and spent time working on other projects, but eventually re-formed and released their more atmospheric second album in 2020. Australian-born vocalist/songwriter Alison Lewis and analog synth player/programmer Ryan Ambridge began making music as Linea Aspera in November of 2011, inspired by early EBM and synth pop with elements of noise and industrial experimentation. The duo released two cassette EPs in 2012, immediately garnering positive word-of-mouth response. San Francisco-based label Dark Entries released Linea Aspera, the duo's debut LP, in September, and German imprint No Emb Blanc issued the album on CD. After the duo disbanded in 2013, Lewis began collaborating with Schwefelgelb's Jonas Förster (aka Sid Lamar) as Keluar, and relocated to Berlin. She additionally released solo material and DJed under the alias Zoé Zanias, and worked with the long-running industrial group Black Rain on their 2014 album Dark Pool. Linea Aspera's underground following continued to grow, with their debut album becoming one of Dark Entries' biggest-selling records. In 2019, the label issued Preservation Bias, a collection of tracks from their first two cassettes as well as a track from a 2013 compilation of London synth acts. The duo announced their reunion and played a few live dates, and the self-issued Linea Aspera LP II arrived in September 2020. ~ Paul Simpson