NYC Coldwave revivalists Xeno & Oaklander offer their second single ahead of the release of Vi/deo in October. As per all of their releases, “Poison” retains a minimalist yet mesmerizing aesthetic, its composition restricted to the use of a particular set of synths and a drum machine while supporting the wisplike voice of Liz Wendelbo and occasional Morrissey-evoking backing vocals from Sean McBride. The track whisks the listener away to a particularly ghoulish 80s nightclub where entranced and undoubtedly shadily-garbed attendants move about as though they were commanded by the synthed-out staccato bassline. Wendelbo plays the part of a questionably living enchantress, enticing her audience to accept a serving of a dubious concoction. Scintillating progressive synth lines encourage the brew out of your cup and down your throat as the enchantress casts her last spell – the imbibers now helpless as they lose themselves in the feeling of the Poison.

Vi/deo will without a doubt be a wonderfully haunting release just in time for the end of October.