There had been some uncertainty for quite some time about whether the one‑day festival Still We Dark would even return. Then, suddenly and without warning, the announcement appeared. The fourth edition of this boutique gothic event—once again organised by the Trieste‑based label Mold Records and The Moonlight Society—was officially happening. This year, the festival was paired with the Obsidian Party, celebrating its second anniversary under the guidance of the well‑known Trieste DJ, EleNoir. The previous edition, held in November 2023, had left a strong and satisfying impression, so I was genuinely looking forward to this one.
This time, the event did not take place in the cultural centre in Prosecco, but in Paradise Bissò, a club located in a rather unusual spot near Montereale Valcellina (PN). Although the venue was further away, that did not stop Jerneja and me from attending—especially with such an appealing line‑up: Berlin's excellent duo NNHMN, the almost‑local Sun's Spectrum from nearby Udine, Rome's Moon In Scorpio, and Milena Medu.
The road to the club winds through picturesque landscapes and small Italian villages. Once you reach Montereale Valcellina, nestled beneath the foothills of the Alps, the navigation leads you up a forest road into the hills. Just when you begin to suspect you've taken a wrong turn, an intriguing building appears in the middle of nature. Interestingly, our previous concert trip to Italy (Kirlian Camera at Krach Club) followed a similar pattern—but this location was even more striking and scenic.
The concert was scheduled to begin at 20:00, and we arrived slightly early. The car park was nearly empty, and considering how difficult it is to reach the venue without a vehicle—unless you're a mountaineer—I expected a modest turnout. We wanted to enter the club, as did several others waiting outside, but the friendly staff instructed us to wait. What was initially "ten minutes" stretched into almost an hour. In the meantime, more people gathered, and eventually, we were allowed inside Paradise Bissò.
This is arguably one of the better‑equipped clubs for events of this kind: a modern interior with multiple rooms, allowing several things to happen simultaneously. As expected for a dark‑themed evening, the décor matched the atmosphere. As mentioned earlier, Still We Dark joined forces with Obsidian Party for this edition. While the former leans towards darkwave, post-punk and gothic music, the latter focuses on dark techno, electronic sounds, and various fetish performances. It was, therefore, no surprise to see many attendees dressed in fetish and BDSM attire, making those of us in more "ordinary" clothing the minority. It also shows how well the Obsidian events have taken root. Still, I wondered how many people were actually there for NNHMN—one of the leading forces of the modern European darkwave/coldwave movement—and for the other live acts.
In any case, the start of the live performances was delayed by nearly two hours. We passed the time chatting with various visitors and performers, including a tarot reader named Amon. We also browsed a few stalls offering various items — mostly gothic jewellery, small statues, artwork and paintings. Dark classics played through the speakers, but the crowd remained sparse until around 22:00, when people finally began to fill the venue. Ah yes, the drinks… This time the prices exceeded anything we're used to—even by Italian standards. Six euros for a small beer (0.33 l), while cocktails and spirits reached absurd heights. To our surprise, there was no wine at all, so spritzes were off the table.
Shortly after 22:00, Milena Medu took the stage, accompanied—as usual—by Lorenzo Corsetti on synths, who is also co‑author of most of the songs. Hailing from Rome, she had already performed at the previous edition of Still We Dark, so I knew what to expect. Her music—half soundscape, half poetry—is an ethereal blend of electronic darkwave, experimental ambient, downtempo, synthpop, trip‑hop, and a touch of folk. Perhaps not the ideal choice to ignite the audience as the opening act, but for those of us who listened attentively, her dreamy, hypnotic, otherworldly soundscapes were a beautiful immersion.
She performed seven tracks, including several new, unreleased pieces ("No", "Perduto", …), as well as older material from the EPs Premonition (2020), M (2021), I See You (2023), and last year's An Exercise In Willpower (2025). Personally, I found the performance even stronger than last time—more refined, more intimate, more emotionally charged. The new songs, the deeply felt "Fiume", and the ambient closing piece "An Exercise In Willpower" left a powerful impression.
After a short break, Moon In Scorpio took the stage. This relatively new duo from Rome was completely unknown to me. Yet after only a few opening bars, I was pleasantly surprised—and puzzled as to how I had never come across their music before. Perhaps because their work is difficult to find, as they publish exclusively on Spotify, a platform I'm not particularly fond of. Regardless, the darkwave/synthwave duo delivered ten tracks, mostly from their debut album The Great Divide (2025). They also performed an unreleased cover of Depeche Mode's "Photographic", an excellent rendition of Lebanon Hanover's "Gallowdance", and closed with "Blue Monday" by New Order.
The contrast between Agnese Carinci's deep, emotional vocals and Feel Prev's higher register—paired with his catchy synth work—worked remarkably well. Their inexperience was noticeable: long pauses between songs, technical adjustments, the keyboardist taking ages to strap on his keytar, and the vocalist's somewhat reserved stage presence. Still, the music itself, enhanced by atmospheric lights and fog, won me over. With more stage time and promotion, they could easily gain wider recognition. By this point, the venue had filled considerably, and the duo received enthusiastic support from the crowd.
While waiting for the synth‑pop/darkwave/EBM duo Sun's Spectrum, we ran into Marco, the head of Mold Records. After a brief chat, he took us backstage and introduced us to Lee Margot and Michal Laudarg of NNHMN, with whom we had arranged an interview. The suggestion was to conduct it immediately, and we agreed. We moved to a quiet spot outside the club and began a friendly conversation. Midway through, security interrupted us, unsure why we were in a "restricted area", but Marco resolved the situation. The interview took longer than expected, and unfortunately, Sun's Spectrum finished their set in the meantime—we didn't catch a single song. We also had to pause the interview, as Lee and Michal had to prepare for their performance. I hope to see Sun's Spectrum again soon; based on their previous appearance at this very event, they are absolutely a "must‑see" duo.
It was already around midnight when NNHMN stepped on stage. Despite some initial sound issues, they quickly captivated the now sizeable audience with their danceable yet icy darkwave and coldwave, infused with touches of techno and dark pop. Their performance was simple, raw, and unembellished—just a bit of artificial fog here and there. They opened with "Der Unweise" from Shadow In The Dark (2019), immediately demonstrating how well‑synchronised they are as a duo. For me, the highlights were "Your Demon" and "Dressing For Pleasure" from last year's EP Opera Of Lust & The Art Of Sorrow I. In total, they played around twelve tracks, including three from the upcoming Opera Of Lust & The Art Of Sorrow II: the freshly released "Cold Like Steel", the then‑unreleased "Say My Name", and the still‑unreleased "Strange Love". "Maybe Late", "Gloomy Heart", and the quasi‑hits "Tomorrow's Heroine" and "Perigee Syzygy" also sounded fantastic, pushing even the more reserved attendees into motion. Emotional, intimate, dreamy, pulsating—simply refined.
The only disturbances came from a few overly enthusiastic—and likely overly intoxicated—visitors who repeatedly climbed onto the stage, attempting to hug or dance with Lee. Perhaps they merely wanted attention, showing off their half‑naked bodies. Lee handled it professionally and gracefully, barely acknowledging the interruptions. At one point, she even stepped off the stage herself to dance with the crowd. I suspect that at a different venue, security would have escorted those stage‑invaders out immediately. Nevertheless, it was an excellent concert, and if you ever have the chance to see NNHMN live, do not hesitate—they are undoubtedly among the finest representatives of the modern darkwave scene.
After the concert, the DJ sets began. Techno dominated the main hall, darkwave hits played in the adjacent room, and we didn't explore the others. The contrast in outfits clearly reflected the musical preferences of each space. We also finished the earlier interview, which again extended into a long and engaging conversation—Lee and Michal are truly fascinating people to talk to. By the time we wrapped up, it was nearly three in the morning, and the journey home awaited. All in all, a memorable evening in one of the best clubs I've visited—marred only by the excessively high drink prices.
I hope that Mold Records and The Moonlight Society will soon treat us to another edition of Still We Dark, as they never fail to deliver a compelling and thoughtfully curated programme.
Report written by Tomaz
Photos by Tomaz
Links: NNHMN, Moon In Scorpio, Milena Medu, Sun's Spectrum, Mold Records, Obsidian Party
