There’s something ancient in the bones of “Aepex“. Not dusty or worn, but wild, like a midnight ritual lit by a bonfire in the Mojave. It’s not just the breakbeats or the fuzzed-out guitars or even those unmistakable Middle Eastern melodies twisting like incense smoke—it’s the feeling that Taleen Kali has tapped into something older, weirder, and much more potent than your average punk-rooted fare. It’s spellcraft. Dirty, loud, ecstatic spellcraft.
The song hits hard. That’s the first thing. The kind of force you don’t brace for until it’s already passed through you. The drums are a seismic event—think industrial rubble clashing with desert winds—and the guitars come on in thick, swirling waves that could drown a lesser band. But somehow everything stays airborne, suspended in a haze of reverb and attitude. Taleen’s voice doesn’t just float on top of it all—it cuts. Clear, firm, defiant. It reminded me of GOAT’s “Gathering Of Ancient Tribes”, in that trance-like, full-bodied way of building tension and release, but there’s a sharpened edge here that makes “Aepex” feel both heavier and hungrier.
And then there’s the message. Or the confession? Either way, Taleen Kali isn’t just writing for the sake of catharsis. She’s ripping holes in the veneer of artistic survival, laying bare the cost of constantly grinding against capitalism’s gears. “The pinnacle of pleasure,” she calls it, but also the peak of disillusionment. It’s goth for a summer that’s all chaos and no peace. A howl from the mountaintop, knowing the climb wasn’t worth it—but yelling anyway. This isn’t background music. It’s a call to arms wrapped in a rave.
About Taleen Kali:
If you’ve been sleeping on Taleen Kali, now’s the time to wake up. A fixture in LA’s underground, her path from riot grrrl roots with TÜLIPS to this shape-shifting, post-punk-shoegaze force is the stuff indie dreams are made of. She’s shared bills with everyone from Alice Bag to Ex Hex, and worked with legends like Kristin Kontrol and Jeff Schroeder. But this one feels especially personal. Co-producing for the first time, calling in current and former bandmates alike—it’s not just a single, it’s a ceremony. And if “Aepex” is any sign of where they’re heading, the next summit’s going to be even wilder.
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