From out of the shadows to under the strobe lights, DIE SEXUAL are the erotically charged Los Angeles-based duo of Anton Floriano and his wife Ros.
While Ros is comparatively new to the music scene having been more involved in visual art, Anton is best known as a member of production duo BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY whose impressive remix portfolio includes YAZOO, ERASURE, IAMX, NITZER EBB, OMD and most notably DEPECHE MODE with a powerful take on ‘Oh Well’, one of their few decent tracks in the last 15 years!
Operating in not dissimilar territory to BOY HARSHER, NIGHT CLUB and NNHMN, DIE SEXUAL’s dark electronic template is exemplified by the seductive ‘Bound, I Rise’ from their debut EP ‘Bound’ which sees the bottom switch to the top in a hypnotic EBM friendly stomper. Followed-up swiftly with a standalone interim single ‘Tremble For Me’, the recently released EP ‘Inservio’ develops on the themes of desire and despair, domination and submission, as well as their penetrating club-friendly sound crafted using vintage and modular synthesizers.
Steamy and seductive, DIE SEXUAL trigger dark passions and conjugal exploration through their intoxicating elektro body musique. With lights down low, Ros and Anton Floriano spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about their motivations and realisations…
How did the idea of making music together as DIE SEXUAL come about?
Ros: We instantly knew we wanted to make music together from the moment we met. I connected with Anton through Instagram where he was promoting BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY believe it or not. We hit it off rather quickly so I shared some solo tracks I’d done. Anton loved my voice and I think the rest came very natural. It was obvious from that point what we needed to do.
What are your shared music likes that help shape the sound of DIE SEXUAL?
Ros: We have mad love for all things analog, BPMs of 125, and industrial banging sounds. PORTISHEAD, LED ZEPPELIN, HARD CORPS, NITZER EBB, SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES, DEPECHE MODE and ZOOT WOMAN are probably some of my top influential artists. Definitely keeping these musical pioneers as somewhat of a foundation.
Anton: DEPECHE MODE, KRAFTWERK, CABARET VOLTAIRE, NITZER EBB and FRONT 242 would be my top influential artists. We also listen to a lot of newer techno and electronic acts and have a shared love of different artists that in some way play into the music we create.
Were there some things that one liked that perhaps the other wasn’t very keen on? 😉
Ros: Not really! Honestly, we enjoy the same music styles and that’s what makes doing DIE SEXUAL very comfortable for us… we are like one another’s mirror. You truly never know when or how inspiration will find you. Keeping an open mind is key with almost anything art-related and we may just stumble across something. Having a closed-mind only guarantees missing out on important talent and lack of growth. Our personal playlists are pretty eclectic for this reason.
Is there any style or approach that you have experimented with in DIE SEXUAL that you wouldn’t normally go with in BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY?
Anton: As BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY was an instrumental project and not having a vocalist. I had to build tracks around samples and themes, but even then I always tried to retain a more traditional song-like approach, not just doing straight club type arrangements. Now working with Ros, it’s a bit more natural being able to work in that verse / chorus structure but at the same time keeping it very DJ friendly. Ultimately, we like to create music for the dancefloor but it’s important it’s just as interesting to listen to in any environment.
DIE SEXUAL have opened their account with two EPs, has this release strategy been dictated by today’s streaming services or is this the best way to start?
Anton: Sure it stems from the current streaming environment and seemingly shorter and shorter attention spans to releases. Also, getting a whole album’s worth of tracks together seems a bit more daunting process and can take someone like us quite a long time to have enough completed in order to release a full album. Working on smaller batches of tracks allows us to get them out there sooner, then kind of move on to the next thing. Someday, we would probably like the challenge of doing that but just getting our feet off the ground feels better to be able to release material more frequently.
While there is a dark S&M club vibe to DIE SEXUAL, the songs are very catchy and energetic but dark without being depressing, how do you get the balance right?
Ros: The balance is truly right – when you mix tantalizing intimacy and a bit of dark essence, you find yourself at crossroads with the perfect concoction. We want to break that stigma that everything dark needs to be depressing or everything that is sexual can’t be done tastefully. It’s easy to express yourself when something comes naturally and is done from experience. So, really we are just speaking from our own perspective.
Anton: I’m really drawn to music that has some element of something sinister or menacing and the energy it creates isn’t depressing but enticing, you want to find out where it takes you.
‘Bound I Rise’ is not necessarily about S&M is it?
Ros: It is, and it isn’t. It came from a place of taking what’s yours and not holding back. It’s really about the subject and their uprising. You can assume they’ve gone through an experience where now, see themselves in a different light… as a force that cannot be reckoned with. Ultimately, they find their “someone” that they can be the version never thought possible and allowing themselves to give into those ways, restoring power and control with the “hunted” through a heavy, sexual powerplay. Thus having a passionate belief that through all of this; they’ll both become freed together, if accepted.
With ‘On This Night’, this showcases the gothic allure of your sound, there is this romance like with the classic goth bands, any thoughts about this as goth can often be dismissed now as being just about depression and hate?
Anton: The main riff / musical motif of ‘On This Night’ is actually based on a classic 80s Chicago House track and it’s showed up in various House, Techno and New Beat tracks over the years. We wanted to create this dark seductive vibe and can see how it resonates across genres. Lyrically, I’m inspired by that early DURAN DURAN, mid 80s DEPECHE MODE where the songs are largely about desire, passion and lust. I don’t come from a place of depression and hate, so I don’t really identify with those kind of lyrics.
Ros: That’s such a huge misconception and I feel proud to be a part of a community that embraces so many different branches that stem from one sole objectivity – wanting to feel welcomed… heard… supported to have a place to lay down our burdens, secrets, or angers; no matter how it may be presented. We give newcomers different outlooks that they no longer have the choice to be close-minded. There is something for everyone here and we know you’ll find it outside of stigmatisms / misconceptions if you just look.
Was there a reason that ‘Tremble For Me’ came out as a standalone single rather than included on ‘Bound’ or ‘Inservio’?
Anton: Following the release of ‘Bound’, we were a bit surprised how quickly it caught on and the attention it was receiving. We wanted to get another 3 track EP out by end of the year and ‘Tremble For Me’ was the first track we worked on along with starting on ‘House of God’. As we were nearing the holiday season and busy December plans, we knew it would not be possible to complete something by year’s end so we went ahead and just put out the one track we had completed and as we both really love the track, we were excited to get it out there and for people to hear it. Once January rolled around, we got back to work on writing and completing the tracks that make up ‘Inservio’.
How does ‘Inservio’ differ from ‘Bound’ or are they all part of the same family and parts of something bigger?
Ros: ‘Bound’ was a reflection of what was to come. The EPs aren’t one in the same but essentially are of chapters of DIE SEXUAL as we go into depth with our musical endeavors. There is always a repeated main theme (or emphasis) and we expect that to continue in following releases. In that case, I suppose you can say they are in fact a part of something larger!
What is your ‘Need To Sin’?
Anton: This track was conceived as a tantalizing roleplay of our seemingly innocent subject submitting to her ultimate desires and hedonistic fantasies, knowing any hesitation of guilt should be discarded as forgiveness will always be granted. Many of us, for a variety of reasons, tend to associate guilt with pleasure and as long as it’s consensual with our trusted partner, we need to learn to let go of that guilt and it’s ok to give in to what feels right.
What hardware, software and effects are you using in DIE SEXUAL, has there been anything that has been a particular revelation to achieve your aesthetic?
Anton: The majority of the synths on our tracks are the Roland System 100M, Oberheim Xpander and Sequential Circuits Pro-One. We have quite a lot more gear and with BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY, I was always trying to use a little bit of everything but we seem to quickly kinda lock down tracks mainly working with those three units. Other synths that may show up here and there are the ARP 2600, Roland Jupiter 4, SH-1 and MKS-70, RSF Kobol, Korg MonoPoly, Waldorf Microwave, Sequential Pro 2 and Pro 3, Ensoniq SQ-80, E-mu Emax and several more pieces. For drums, we use boxes from Jomox and Elektron, a Toraiz sampler and Native Instruments Maschine.
We also have a moderate sized Eurorack system with a complete Roland System 500 set along with various other modules and we use Eurorack sequencers for a lot of the programming of the synth parts. As far as effects, we use hardware Eventide boxes, Elektron Analog Heat, an old Ensoniq DP2 and the Erica Synths Zen Delay. We mainly use Universal Audio plug-ins in the DAW.
What has been your favourite DIE SEXUAL song so far and your favourite that has not been released yet?
Ros: ‘On This Night’ will always hold a special place for me. I’m a highly-emotional, nostalgic ridden being and this takes me back to times that I shared and still do share with my partner. Not only that, but I know other people feel the same way about their muse or significant other when they come across this track. That makes me feel good inside. I can’t give away a favorite of an unreleased track but for you, Chi – we might give you a sneak peek!
Anton: ‘Fate Awaits’ was the first song Ros sent me when we first met so it was really rewarding to develop that into what it became, although I’m really loving the way ‘Need To Sin’ came out.
Have you considered making full length song videos or are short reels the way to go with how social media works now?
Ros: Full-length videos have been talked about for sure. It’s only a matter of time so you’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled for something soon. Coming from a professional photography and cinematography background, having any type of content is super vital. People like to what see you’re working on or doing but it’s said our attention spans timeout after a while and so sweet and short is where it’s at.
With the erotic charge of DIE SEXUAL, how far do you think you can push boundaries on social media?
Ros: We’re pushing the limits until we find a way to break them. There are other means of platforms that aren’t so restrictive, perhaps we might explore those. How’s that saying go? “Things weren’t like they used to be back then”.
Anton: Catch our early Sunday morning IG Stories, LOL! We believe in freedom of expression and that’s gotten us flagged a few times already, but we will continue to flirt with those boundaries and look at alternative platforms.
What is next for DIE SEXUAL? Is an album on the way? What about live shows?
Anton: We just played our first live show and have a string of shows coming up. We will likely start working on new material after this first round of shows and will probably release something early summer and just get out there and play a lot of shows over the summer. We shall see where things take us from there!
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to DIE SEXUAL
The ‘Bound’ and ‘Inservio’ EPs, along with the ‘Tremble For Me’ single and ‘Remixes Vol1’ mini-album are available direct from https://diesexual.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/diesex/
https://www.instagram.com/die_sexual/
https://www.tiktok.com/@diesexual
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6G8LVRZv0VxPuLwSQfVkEb
Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
8 April 2024
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