Synth-Driven Post-Punk Act The Soft Moon Plays Homecoming Shows

Started when Bay Area musician Luis Vasquez was still playing with noted local neo-psych band Lumerians, his home-recording project that would become The Soft Moon was initially intended only for himself and a few  friends. Instead, Vasquez would reach a global audience with the bleak, hypnotic sounds of the act's self-titled 2010 debut, a fan base that has only grown with each subsequent release.

Offering up a pulsing, synthesizer-driven sound that mixed driving Krautrock rhythms with the post-punk angst of Suicide and Bauhaus as well as touches of modern dark-wave influences, The Soft Moon earned rave notices from fans and critics on both sides of the Atlantic. While the debut was recorded with Vasquez playing every instrument, he would assemble a live band to recreate his songs onstage.

The Soft Moon toured extensively, delivering a stark presentation of the music that at first was powered by just a drum machine and accompanied by nearly seizure-inducing projections. Vasquez recorded the follow-up Total Decay EP before his proper sophomore effort Zeroes in 2012 took the Soft Moon sound into even darker, more claustrophobic territory. A new live line-up of the band become a popular live attraction in Europe with continued touring on the continent.

Vasquez took his time with the next Soft Moon effort, assembling songs after decamping from Oakland and moving to the mountains outside of Venice in Italy to record with producer Maurizio Baggio. The resultant album Deeper came out in late March of 2015 and was hailed by some as the most compelling Soft Moon effort Vasquez has produced yet, matching some of his bleakest soundscapes yet with beguiling melodies.

The Soft Moon was slated to return to the United States for an extensive tour supporting iconic British post-punk band Killing Joke, but health issues with one of the headliner's members led to a cancellation. Instead, Vasquez decided to embark on a headlining tour of his own.

The Soft Moon plays a pair of homecoming gigs this weekend, stopping at the New Parish in Oakland on Friday night and Slim's in San Francisco on Sunday. The Oakland show features support from local like-minded synth-rock act Cold Beat (who released their second album In The Air late last year), LA-based post-punk outfit Sextile and North Bay band OVVN. At Slim's, Vasquez and company are joined by Sextile, SF drone punks Male Gaze and DJ Omar Perez.

The Soft Moon

Friday, January 29, 8 p.m. $13-$16
The New Parish

Sunday, January 31, 8 p.m. $15-$17
Slim's