French synthwave titan Carpenter Brut has returned, tearing open the next chapter of his dark cinematic universe with the release of “Leather Temple,” the first single from the third and final installment of his legendary Leather trilogy, arriving in 2026. Brut’s newest offering is a serrated collision of abrasive beats, metallic tension, and dystopian world-building—his most ambitious vision yet.
Directed by Dehn Sora, the accompanying video introduces Midwichpolis, a scorched post-nuclear metropolis reborn from the ashes of 2077. This sprawling nightmare city forms the narrative backbone of the new album.
At its core stands the monolithic Temple, a blackened tower piercing the skyline like a ceremonial blade. It serves as the throne of Iron Tusk, the brutal ruler whose empire thrives on fear, propaganda, and decadence. While the upper sectors—known as the City of Light—bathe in neon excess, holographic glamour, and grotesque luxury, the truth is far more rotten. Below the shimmering facade stretch the Midwich Slums, a labyrinth of ruin, poverty, and perpetual surveillance. Here, rebellion simmers. Here, the shadows swallow the innocent whole.
“Leather Temple” channels this tension directly into sound. Its steel-sharpened beats and heavy metal-kissed riffs echo the rage of the oppressed, while blistering neon synths reflect the glowing corruption above. Saturated in 90s electro grit and soaked in dystopian atmosphere, the track stomps forward with distorted aggression and relentless propulsion—classic Carpenter Brut, but fiercer, darker, and even more cinematic.
Since erupting onto the scene in 2012, Carpenter Brut has fused metal, dark electronic music, and ‘80s pop culture into his own unmistakable universe—equal parts John Carpenter, Dario Argento, Slayer, and Justice. The Leather trilogy has become a modern mythos: • Leather Teeth (2018) — a glam-rock-infused neon nightmare • Leather Terror (2022) — a brutal slasher odyssey following anti-hero Brett Halford • The forthcoming final chapter — the ultimate crescendo of this filmic saga
Carpenter Brut’s live spectacle continues to evolve alongside the narrative, and he has announced extensive European and U.S. dates for March 2026, including a massive North American co-headline run with HEALTH.
Mach FoX’s journey into the shadows of electronic music began long before Zwaremachine emerged as a fully realized force. Drawn to the synthetic pulse of ‘80s music—processed drums, hypnotic synths, and the strange allure of acts like Gary Numan, Fad Gadget, and Alien Sex Fiend—he quickly discovered that alternative sounds weren’t just music but escape routes. Punk cracked open the door even wider, offering not only attitude but permission. When he shifted from guitar to sequencers and drum machines, he realized he could operate as a one-man band sculpted entirely from electricity. That spark would become the earliest prototype of Zwaremachine.
Throughout the ‘90s, he honed his identity across guitar and synth-driven projects. Then, in 2005, he released his solo Mach FoX album and formed a band to play it live—an act defined by theatrical lighting, costuming, and performance art. This experience birthed Zwaremachine’s audio-visual DNA. As he expanded into VJ work and installation-style video art, syncing imagery with sound became not just an aesthetic choice but an obsession.
Years of performances sharpened his instinct for pairing music with glitchy, circuit-bent visuals. The result? A sonic identity defined not by rigid genre labels but by tension, repetition, and mechanical hypnosis. When Be A Light arrived, Mach coined the phrase “minimal hypnotic industrial body music” to describe a style all his own—long looping sequences cut into tight rhythmic pulses, merging physicality with cold circuitry.
Influence came not just from records, but screens: Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Mad Max, Alien, RoboCop, and the biomechanical nightmares of H.R. Giger. Bands like Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Skinny Puppy shaped his desire for cyberpunk spectacle. Early Zwaremachine shows were chaotic—hardware failing, members missing—but Mach learned self-sufficiency when a DJ collaborator got arrested minutes before showtime. He performed alone. No computers, no backup band—just grit, planning, and will. “Zwaremachine” means “heavy machine,” and in those days, the name matched the literal weight of the gear he dragged to every venue.
Asked what he’d tell his younger self, he answered with conviction: commit to the vision, trust your instincts, and don’t clone anyone else’s sound. Originality is earned through persistence.
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Today, Zwaremachine’s international cult following is the result of years of transformation. A major turning point arrived in 2019 when Bas—Dein Offizier—brought a Brazilian surdo drum into the mix. Its booming resonance expanded the band’s sonic footprint. Shortly afterward, Mach’s longtime collaborator Dbot joined on bass guitar, pushing Zwaremachine from a solo-driven project into a fully realized band with new energy and melodic strength. His contributions shaped Conquest 3000 and set the foundation for the upcoming third album.
The evolution continued with the arrival of guitarist Paul K and electronic drummer Marshall B, shifting Zwaremachine into an industrial rock organism with electrifying live dynamics. The onstage energy surged—heavier, louder, more physical.
Mach remains dedicated to the band’s visual identity, customizing microphones and modifying equipment to maintain a cohesive cyberpunk aesthetic. While earlier performances involved juggling sequencers and visuals live, Mach later realized he needed to step out from behind the machines to truly lead the show. Looping visuals preserved the hypnotic vibe while freeing him to become the frontperson the music demanded. Minimalism remained key: black-and-white glitch art, stark lighting, and lyric-driven repetition designed to pull crowds into a trance. Be A Light, with its single verse and five choruses, exemplified this mantra.
Creative flow within the band is fluid and collaborative. Older tracks left little room for added instrumentation, but newer compositions allow Dbot’s Wax Trax-inspired basslines and Paul K’s textured guitars to flourish. Their third album will be their most unified effort yet, with every member writing and shaping their sound.
Though Zwaremachine excels visually, Mach remains grounded. Whether performing at underground clubs or international festivals, he channels raw punk energy into every show. Music remains his anchor—an outlet for darker emotions in a world that grows more chaotic by the day.
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The road ahead for Zwaremachine is charged with momentum. Their next album promises a more aggressive assault—faster tempos, heavier synths, and arrangements built for live detonation. Recording begins in November, with Mach traveling to the Netherlands to capture performances from Paul K and Marshall B, marking the band’s most global collaboration to date.
Before that arrives, a deeply emotional release is queued under the Mach FoX name. Chaos of Man, arriving in October 2025, was born from tragedy. Originally intended for Zwaremachine’s third record, the material shifted dramatically after the passing of drummer Dein Offizier. Mach found himself unable to revisit the songs for long stretches, and when he did, the arrangements changed—synths replaced with guitars, structures altered to reflect grief’s imprint. Ultimately, the songs no longer fit Zwaremachine’s identity, but they carried a truth that needed to be released. The album stands as both tribute and closure.
Beyond music, Mach plans to return to video art—especially for upcoming music videos tied to the new album. While technology pushes toward virtual and AI-enhanced experiences, Zwaremachine remains unapologetically analog for the time being. The future may bring new tools, but the pulse of the project remains human.
In terms of dream collaborations, Mach’s top choice is visual mastermind Paul Gerrard, whose grotesque and cinematic artwork resonates with Zwaremachine’s dystopian edge.
As he looks forward, Mach’s message to the next generation is simple and razor-sharp: Find your voice. Distill it. Weaponize it. Never conform.
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