L.A.’s underground punk-gaze hero Taleen Kali is back and diving into a deeper, moodier direction with her latest single, Aepex, out now via Dum Dum Records. The release marks a new sonic chapter for the band, hot on the heels of their breakthrough debut album ‘Flower of Life’—and just in time for their West Coast tour with Ringo Deathstarr, wrapping up in San Francisco and L.A. on June 7 and 8.
Aepex isn’t just a song—it’s a storm of breakbeat drums, hypnotic Middle Eastern-influenced melodies, and distorted guitar waves that feel like you’ve been dropped into a haunted dreamscape. Imagine L.A. Witch, Curve, and Chapterhouse hitching a ride through the desert with The Horrors and Sextile riding shotgun. The result? A goth-tinged shoegaze anthem with a punk soul and a poetic edge.
“I don’t just want to keep pushing upward into oblivion,” Taleen explains. “‘Aepex’ is the pinnacle of pleasure. A crest. A threshold. It’s about how meaningless the chase can be and finding other ways to forge meaning—finding transcendence amidst chaos and madness.” That sentiment pulses through every fuzz-drenched second of the track.
It’s also a bit of a milestone moment for the band behind the scenes. Recorded once again at The Cave Studios with longtime collaborator Josiah Mazzaschi, Aepex marks the first time Taleen stepped in as co-producer. The band’s bassist Miles Marsico switched things up by tracking drums for the single, with mixing help from Chris King of Cold Showers. Longtime guitarist Royce Hsu lends a farewell solo, and new addition Genevieve Quiquivix makes a debut—bridging the past and future in one fiery track. Touring drummer Anthony Schillaci rounds out the lineup, turning Taleen Kali into more of a shape-shifting punk collective than a traditional band.
If you’re near San Francisco or L.A., catch the final dates of the tour—and if you’re in L.A., the June 8 show at Echoplex doubles as the official single release party. Bonus: they’ll be dropping limited edition 7-inch lathe cuts of Aepex for the occasion. Tickets here
Tour Dates:
- Sat, June 7 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
- Sun, June 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
If you’re new to the band, here’s the lowdown: Taleen Kali sounds like goth Blondie meets Ride, with a healthy splash of punk fury and shoegaze swirl. After being named an Alternative Press Artist to Watch in 2024 and making their official SXSW debut this year, the band is clearly on the rise. Their debut LP, ’Flower of Life,’ produced by Jeff Schroeder of Smashing Pumpkins and Mazzaschi, saw love from KEXP, KCRW (thanks, Henry Rollins!), Bandcamp, and SPIN, plus two full U.S. tours and festival stops at Treefort, Freakout Fest, and more.
Now, Aepex is here to push things even further—cosmic, cathartic, and coated in fuzz.
Listen to Aepex now and ride the wave.
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