Book II : Chapter XXXVII - Now After Nothing (Matt Spatial)

Tonight it is my pleasure to introduce you to Now After Nothing’s Matt Spatial. His music is sublime, bleak, gloomy, and pop inflected Darkwave from the city that gave us Killer Mike and Outkast. On this episode we traverse his journey to this project, his love of My Bloody Valentine and Jane's Addiction, politics, relationships, and the majesty of song.

ATLANTA, GA | FEBRUARY 24, 2023: Today darkwave duo Now After Nothing release their single “Fixation Fantasy.” The trance-like soundscape is the latest creation from mastermind and frontman Matt Spatial and drummer Michael Allen. Compared to their debut single, “Fixation Fantasy” highlights more of Now After Nothing’s broad expanse of musical influences with rock elements inspired by The Cure, Sonic Youth, and Nine Inch Nails. The track, mixed by Carl Glanville (U2, Joan Jett) and mastered by John Davis (The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), is driven by gnarly, distorted bass swathed with sci-fi guitar chords that convey the emotional density of the song’s dark lyrical underbelly, as described by Spatial:

"The sonic atmosphere of the song is like one giant burning star of continuous combustion. It feels equal parts uneasy and harmonious happening all at once. It is warm meets cold, pain meets pleasure, and captures the exact story of the song’s lyrical content: a tale of the worst psychologically abusive relationship. It is about the struggle to break free and reclaim one's self/identity in the aftermath as told from all three sides of the story."- Matt Spatial, Now After Nothing

Atlanta-based darkwave act Now After Nothing is bringing classic influences and modernized electronic instrumentals to the present-day crowd. Frontman and multi-instrumentalist Matt Spatial brings masterful expertise to the expansive project and it’s evident in the dynamic collection of tracks that cover a vast selection of genres from punk to industrial and new wave. The influences from Bauhaus, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, and Sonic Youth shine as he seamlessly enmeshes the best parts of those artists into a new iteration of seductive, introspective, and mesmerizing goth tracks for the next generation. Spatial intricately weaves social, political, and personal narratives within the instrumentals to add depth and darkness that resonates with lost and misunderstood souls.

What originated as a solo idea is now skyrocketing into a full-fledged project coming to fruition. Now After Nothing is poised to announce a new EP on the way that was fully written and recorded by Matt Spatial alongside drummer Michael Allen. They are also gearing up for their first upcoming live performances in 2023.

All songs used by permission.

"Martyrs" by Heart Out

Theme by GOWN

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