The Old Blue Last
14 December 2025
It’s the first day of Hanukkah, but the brightest light in the night is found upstairs at a Shoreditch pub. Two US-based artists, who have both appeared on the sadly-defunct Flexiwave label, are making a stop on their way back from Europe, and their presence pushes away the winter gloom.
Ortrotasce and Silent EM have shared space on vinyl (Common Loss); and, tonight, they take turns on the stage for the Reformation Club. It’s a winning combination, as two of America’s most vital dark electro acts bring their shows to London for the first time.
Dressed in black, the children of the night have emerged to absorb the rhythms. Among them is Sweden’s Aux Animaux, who performed in London the previous evening (and looks like a star even in civilian clothes). As the nights grow longer, the city’s options keep getting better.
Ortrotasce
First up is Ortrotasce, the project of Nic Hamersly. The Florida-based musician has had a number of projects, but it is under this guise (pronounced Or-tro-task, since you ask) that has taken him the furthest.
The set focusses on material from Dispatches from Solitude, which took shape during the pandemic years. “No Mortal Harmony,” “Part from Myself,” and “Falling Star’ are present and correct, with Hamersly’s doom vocals reverberating through the room. It’s a solid performance that sets the tone for the evening.
Silent EM
We tried to convince Jean Lorenzo to come over for our 2019 event with Rein and Komputer+, but the timing didn’t work. The pandemic put a stop to efforts to find new opportunities, so kudos to Reformation Club for providing the venue for the London debut of Silent EM.
One of the few American artists to produce consistently interesting material, Silent EM combines the electro of the 80s with the vocals of goth rock, drenched in reverb and deep emotions. Live, Lorenzo belts out the songs to the accompaniment of layered beats and Hamersly’s guitar. The latter lends a New Order vibe; etching out textures to contrast with the pulsing electronics.
Proceedings commence in a quality way with “Institution” from last year’s Real Life album. The song is a high-energy party-starter, and it only takes a few beats to get the room moving.
Other highlights from the set include “Europa,” which was originally recorded with Xarah Dion, and “Real Life.” The latter is the title track from last year’s album, which was put together in Montreal – Lorenzo reversing the traditional path of the Canadian Snowbirds who occupy Florida during the winter months.
An electro take on the Killing Joke classic, “Follow the Leaders,” was well-timed, given the way the world is going. It also pairs up Lorenzo and Hamersly to good effect, adding depth to the live sound.
The set closes with “Wraith” from The Absence, and Hamersly leaves the stage to allow the synths to reign. It’s brilliant, driving material that fills the room with dancing bodies. Silent EM’s first appearance in London has been a long time coming, but his appearance confirms what we have suspected all along: when it gets dark, the city needs to move.