In the small Italian city of Castelfranco Veneto, located in the north‑eastern region of Veneto, somewhere between Treviso, Padua and Venice, an intriguing event took place on the equally intriguing date of 6 June 2026: the :Sine Lumine: Fest. What convinced Jerneja and me to make the trip was, above all, the performance of one of the most prominent and compelling bands of the modern darkwave scene – Ash Code. The Naples‑based trio, who released the excellent Synthome last year, were joined by several support acts that were, until then, unknown to me – all of them Italian. Alongside Ash Code, the festival featured the electro/industrial/synth‑pop trio TourdeForce, the darkwave/new wave duo Danser La Nuit, and the darkwave duo Lumière Sombre. I familiarised myself with their music beforehand and quickly realised that all three were worth paying attention to.
If Italy was, until a few years ago, something of an underdog on the European darkwave map – with only a handful of notable exceptions – this has changed dramatically. Not only are new and interesting bands emerging at an impressive pace, but the number of events and festivals has also grown significantly. I can confidently say that the current Italian dark scene is among the most vibrant in Europe, not only in quantity but also in quality.
Castelfranco Veneto lies roughly an hour and forty‑five minutes from the Slovenian border, which makes it close enough for Slovenians and Croatians to occasionally visit events at Improve Club. And believe me, the autumn and winter programme looks promising – it’s worth checking their social media for upcoming shows.
We arrived around 19:00, as we had arranged an interview with Alessandro from Ash Code. Although the original plan was to meet at 18:30 – and I feared we were running late – we ended up waiting for almost an hour, as the band had only just begun their soundcheck. Once again, we had to accept the familiar truth: in Italy, schedules are more of a suggestion than a rule. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Mauro, the event organiser, who showed us around the venue and offered us a cold beer.
The festival, which hosted four bands and four or five DJs, took place across two separate clubs. Each club featured two live performances. Outside, between the two spaces, a food truck catered to the hungry, while a stall offered gothic clothing and accessories for those wishing to enrich their wardrobe. Inside the main building, a merch room displayed vinyl, CDs and band merchandise – a tempting selection for anyone willing to spend a few extra euros. Both rooms were modern and visually appealing, though I was surprised to find that the first room had no stage at all, meaning the performers played directly on the floor.
The interview with Ash Code's Alessandro turned into a pleasant conversation, and towards the end, his twin brother Adriano joined us. Only Claudia was missing, as she was looking after baby Julian – though both of them later made a brief appearance. Expect the interesting interview to be published soon.
It was almost 22:00 when the first band, Lumière Sombre, took the floor. Until that evening, the duo had been completely unknown to me, but Francesca and Enrico genuinely impressed. Their theatrical, cinematic and emotional darkwave translated well live. I didn’t know their songs, except for their cover of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”. Despite the lack of a raised stage, the pair delivered a committed performance, especially the petite vocalist whose strong, hypnotic voice, expressive movements and well‑thought‑out choreography captivated the audience. The black-and‑white floor cloth beneath them and the red curtain behind them evoked a Twin Peaks‑like atmosphere. There was no elaborate lighting or stage effects, so imperfections were impossible to hide. The sound was good, though the backing vocal playback was a bit too obvious – something that experience will surely refine. Overall, their 30–40‑minute set was enjoyable, and I hope to see them again in the future.
Next up in the same room was the post‑punk/darkwave duo Danser La Nuit, but as Adriano and later Alessandro joined us outside, an engaging conversation unfolded, and time slipped away. We unintentionally missed their entire performance. Judging by the reactions and comments from the audience, the set was well‑received. I hope to catch them another time.
The action then shifted to the neighbouring club hall, where DJs had already been warming up the crowd with a darkwave/gothic/electro selection. The next act was the Milan‑based trio TourdeForce. Until a few weeks before the event, they were completely unfamiliar to me, despite having already released their eighth studio album, Leaving Nothing Left Behind, earlier this year. After listening to their material, I found their electro‑industrial synth‑pop appealing and strong – but their live performance exceeded all expectations. The well‑rehearsed trio, led by founder Christian Ryder, accompanied by guitarist Fox T and the recently joined Neviah Luneville (whom some black metal fans may recognise from her guest appearance on Ancient’s Night Vision), delivered a powerful and dynamic show.
Interestingly, they played only the title track from the new album (“LNLB”), recently released as a maxi single, and focused mostly on Hail The Electronic Sun (2024) and Vargtimmar (2021). We heard twelve songs, some of which I suspect were new, as I couldn’t find them in their discography. I particularly enjoyed the moments when Neviah took over the lead vocals – her voice is strong, dark, emotional and commanding. Combined with their stage presence and the vivid video projections, TourdeForce created a convincing dark electro/industrial atmosphere, perfectly aligned with their themes of modern‑world decadence. Highly recommended.
After a short break – midnight had already struck – it was time for Ash Code. A band that rarely goes missing from darkwave DJ playlists these days, they impressed from the very first song. Their a bit more than an hour‑long set included sixteen tracks, fairly evenly distributed across their albums. From their latest release, Synthome, they performed four songs. Unsurprisingly, the biggest crowd reactions came during the classics from their debut Oblivion (2014), such as “Dry Your Eyes”, “Drama” and “Waves With No Shores”, the latter closing the show.
Personally, the highlight for me was "Ángel Oscuro" and “Nostalgia” from Synthome, performed as the final track of the main set. The masterful blend of post‑punk rawness, melancholic darkwave, gothic atmosphere, and pulsating electro energy works exceptionally well live. Ash Code’s extensive stage experience is evident; even without excessive interaction, a magnetic connection forms between the band and the audience. The performance was dynamic and atmospheric, enhanced by the interplay of male and female vocals, the use of multiple instruments, the visual backdrop and the excellent sound. It’s no surprise they were rewarded with loud applause and returned for two encores. The set felt far too short.
The organisers seemed satisfied with the turnout – both club halls could have held more people, but the atmosphere was lively and positive. After the concert, the DJ programme continued. We stayed for a while, but as the hour grew late – we set off home. This was the first festival of its kind at the Improve Club, and I sincerely hope the next editions will be just as good. Hopefully, we’ll be back soon.
For some years now, Jerneja and I have enjoyed attending concerts in Italy. The atmosphere is always pleasant, the events well organised, and the offer for dark‑music enthusiasts surprisingly rich. This time, even the drinks were reasonably priced. The only recurring drawback is that club concerts often start much later than advertised. After the live sets, one would happily stay a while longer to enjoy the DJ programme — which is frequently excellent — but since we’re no longer in our younger years, and neither are most of the attendees at these kinds of events, fatigue inevitably takes over. Even so, we left with the feeling of having spent a genuinely delightful evening, one that will stay with us for a long time.
Report written by Tomaz
Photos by Tomaz
Links: Ash Code, TourdeForce, Lumière Sombre, Danser La Nuit, Sine Lumine
