If you haven’t had a proper introduction to cold wave, look no further than Crying Vessel. The project recently launched by Slade Templeton (of fidget/bass house duo Defunct!) has provided a veritable crash course in the genre in the form of the Killing Time EP.

To the uninitiated, the antiquated synthesizers of songs like “Lay Me To Rest” and “Ghostly Figures” (our personal favorite from the EP) may come across as a tongue-in-cheek nod to dated styles. While cold wave – like its sister styles, dark wave and synth wave – certainly wasn’t meant to be taken seriously when included in the soundtracks of films like Hot Rod and Kung Fury, it has retained a sincere following in many parts of the world since its late ‘70s inception.

For Templeton, at least, the Crying Vessel project couldn’t be more earnest. In a 2016 interview with The Blog that Celebrates Itself, he revealed that much of the inspiration for the project came from a time in his life in which his drug and alcohol abuse resulted in a near-death experience. He elaborated:

“I have gone through a very dark road from many years of touring and ‘partying’ or ‘living that lifestyle’ in the past. I had a near death experience nearly four years ago and had a life-saving surgery due to my actions and decisions. When I survived I felt Crying Vessel was the perfect place to put all those emotions and feelings into a bundle of songs. The darkest of times can shed light in the best way, though. I felt I could use this outlet to get a message across to those that may be suffering from their own dark demons.”

While the EP came out officially through Zoey Records last November, the songs will be re-released on a 12-track CD and 9-song vinyl record via French imprint Manic Depression Records this summer. In addition, the title track of the EP will be featured during the opening credits of an upcoming horror film whose title Templeton was not yet at liberty to disclose.