Punk's Undead

I first saw immortal nightbody at a small venue in Tucson, Arizona. They were opening for Protomartyr on a warm night in late Spring. I had dragged my feet on going out that evening; I had started to find Tucson rather stifling around then. Luckily, my excitement to see Protomartyr perform for a venue that typically only sees a few dozen patrons per show beat my desire to nestle into bed. I had been gifted the ticket by a friend who wasn’t as keen on the band as I was and spent the drive playing The Agent Intellect, eager to immerse myself in the almost space-y drone of my favorite album of theirs. I was totally unaware of any other billed artist.

I entered the bar seeking to take up as little space as possible, nervously readjusting my mask and sidling into a dark corner where no one would see me, but where I could see the stage. Almost immediately, a strong electronic bass rhythm struck up and a figure in all black with a well positioned beret stood powerfully in center stage laying biting, staccato lyrics and rough, modern refrains over consistently dark and energetic electronic tracks. Sim Jackson never seemed to rest, throwing heavy boots onto speakers on stage and leaning down towards the audience one moment then flying to another corner the next. Within moments I felt compelled to mimic Sim’s side-to-side sway. I was hooked on the political and emotive themes in songs like PAIN IS POWER. An almost goth sensibility to the pain and horrors of his experiences and observations of the world, Sim seems to drag the two branches of beatnik evolution back around to meet once again.

With similar anger and sharp commentary to other modern artists like Bob Vylan (though my personal tastes favor Sim’s writing), Sim is a lyricist that appeals to punk, goth, and hip-hop fans, pulling on a lot of familiar sounds while remaining exceptionally modern. Being acquainted with Sim, I can think of no one more adequately suited to carry the identity of punk in this community. Their art reflects the vast emotions of their experiences as well as their philosophies that influence them as an activist and academic.

Support and follow them here: https://immortalnightbody.bandcamp.com/

I cannot recommend only one album from immortal nightbody. I think they all have slightly different feelings to appeal to a wide range of people. dancefloor jihad from BLACK ON BLACK ON BLACK reminds me of my favorite tracks in modern goth industrial clubs with its square, electronic groove. The whole album would fit seamlessly on a dark dancefloor while appealing to those who seek to find the abstract beauty of the gross or mundane. Other albums like SUBLIME OBJECTS or Nightlord have a more new wave or post-punk instrumental and synth drone combined with almost trap beats. I think of the strummed chords of The Cleaners from Venus and the bass style of Yukata Higuchi overlaid with modern beats. Wholly, I am often reminded of The Wolfgang Press, The Danse Society, and Krisma by a lot of the tracks in the albums that are less bass drum driven. And, of course, most certainly, immortal nightbody does provide a wonderful opening for Protomartyr’s post-punk sound.