Photo by Kristopher Kirk

I’m very much looking forward to the hardcore scene getting an education on freestyle house-pop from an era when songs like Rockell’s “In A Dream” and Cynthia & Johnny O’s “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” ruled FM waves in the ’80s and ’90s as Nuovo Testamento takes the stage as one of the brilliant left-field bookings at this year’s Sound and Fury. It should be noted, however: the Los Angeles trio of vocalist Chelsey Crowley, drummer Giacomo Zatti, and synthesist Andrea Mantione understand their audience’s intentions very well, as its members came up from the hardcore scene — Zatti played in the straight edge hardcore punk outfit TØRSÖ and Mantione did time in gothic death rockers Horror Vacui — before turning their energy from the pit into Hi-NRG on the dance floor.

They’ll be bringing new bangers to fest, as they’re readying the release of their new EP, Trouble, and those new to their club fusion will find its first preview, “Picture Perfect”, gets their formula for retro-fitted synth-pop for a modern day — er, perfected — in its finesse since they began mining it in 2019. “Won’t need money / We’ll make it through / I can keep us warm if I’m next to you / Blood lips, honey / No, they won’t turn blue,” Crowley sings. True that there may be a familiar frame of dream-fated romance staring down another body in motion here while the clarity of some crafty wordplay helps seal the deal, but the way Nuovo Testamento wear the image of yesterday in this very moment is like it’s an original copy.

Directed by: Alfredo Lopez

Nuovo Testamento’s Trouble will be released July 25th on Discoteca Italia.