W: Sibyl R Cooper. I: Olly Bromidge
Twin Tribes have left an undeniable mark on the global goth scene, and are key players in defining conventions of modern darkwave music. Luis and Joel sat down with ASBO to discuss their discography and rise to worldwide success.
It all started in Brownsville, Texas, 2017, on a trip back from a gig with an old band. Luis shared early Twin Tribes demos with Joel - what would become Shadows (2018). Joel was taken in by the ethereal sounds of these tapes. With Joel part of the Tribe on bass, synth, and vocals, the duo’s process of creating Shadows was one of innocence, drawing inspirations from favourite movies like The Hunger and Dark Crystal as lyrical and instrumental themes.
Listening to Tower of Glass, I feel the literary worlds of William Beckford. I explore crystalline caves, search for magic stones in shattered reflections.
“We started because we really liked the songs that we made. We want to make a cassette. There were no huge dreams. It was as innocent as that.” - Joel
Completing Shadows, the duo looked to book live shows, with their first performance taking place at an Indie night in San Antonio alongside a lineup of DJs.
Rural Brownsville is not known for having a goth scene. Luis and Joel travelled hours to perform at events in San Antonio and Dallas. They were eventually booked at San Antonio’s largest goth night, 1313, to perform alongside DJ Elybat.
These shows allowed the duo to build a network of DJs within the scene, like Rick and Sean Bats from San Antonio, Sean Templar from New York and Dave Cantrell from Portland, who played Twin Tribes at clubs, on radio stations, and arranged live bookings.
A special relationship exists between darkwave artists and DJs on the goth scene. DJs don’t just play up-and-coming goth gems, but often share bills with live acts at goth clubs.
With regular gigs appearing across the US, the release of Ceremony (2019) launched the duo to international success.
Stacked with iconic hits like Fantasmus and Upir, the album embedded itself into the global goth psyche, defining the duo’s sound: vintage synths and crisp bass layered with ethereal lead guitar and vocals; a liminal space between cassette tapes and modern production.
Tracks like Heart and Feather and Avalon cannot be overlooked, underscoring the adventures of goths as they dance with friends at goth clubs, or amidst their favourite moonlit graves.
The duo have always maintained creative control over their masters as independent artists, working with labels like Manic Depression and Young And Cold to press cassette and vinyl releases of Shadows and Ceremony.
In the golden age of Instagram, Twin Tribes cultivated their signature aesthetic with both album art and performance looks, building their network of online and in-person connections with fans and artists.
Having toured Shadows, Ceremony, and Pendulum (2023) throughout the US, South America, Europe, and the UK, the duo are taken aback by the overwhelmingly positive reception from audiences. Crowds at sold out shows began mosh pits to each song in Lithuania, and an infamous show in Lille saw fans crash the stage to dance.
“We're still going to give you a great show, but depending on how you receive it back is how electric it can become. It's a beautiful thing, different people, different languages, all reacting differently.” - Luis
Their early Twin Tribes live set-up consisted of a Digitech Jamman guitar pedal to trigger backing tracks, with Roland JXP-3P and Korg Poly-800 synths, and a Roland TR-707 drum machine. Luis and Joel then streamlined their set up to an Akai MPC and two Arturia midi controllers, along with their signature Fender and Ernie Ball guitars.
Upgrading to the Akai MPC (Music Production Centre) allows them to control venue lighting on stage. They believe that darkwave is an accessible genre for up-and-coming artists.
“It [the MCP] is an investment, but it's not just a tool that you are going to use to play live. It's also a tool that you can use to record and to sample. It's very cool to have everything self contained. You don't have to rely on anybody.” - Luis
Touring Pendulum for over a year, Twin Tribes are set for more tours through South America and Europe.
Pendulum takes a darker tonal shift, with a greater focus on industrial tinged programmed drum beats and synthesisers, most evident in Sanctuary, Cauldron of Thorns and Monolith. The closing track Meadow lulls listeners with its dark, brutalist soviet sound. Graves brew under the earth as the guitar and bass grow. Cobblestone obelisks rise as the synthesiser wraps roots and moss over the faded texts.
Twin Tribes keep future plans close to their chests.
“We want to do that rap rock thing now. You’re hearing it here first!” Joel tricked me into believing.
A Twin Tribes x Limp Bizkit track would have been the one of the biggest curveballs ever pitched in goth history.
More tours and song writing is on the horizon for this decorated darkwave outfit. The goth scene eagerly awaits their next project.